The Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (PTC) is composed of physicians, pharmacists, administrators and nurses who advise on rational drug use in the hospital. The PTC ensures quality drug preparation, reviews adverse drug reactions, monitors drug safety, and maintains formularies. It meets regularly to review drug policies and safety, recommend educational programs, and advise on drug evaluation, selection and use.

1. Pharmacy &
Therapeutics Committee
Dr. Ajith JS
Asst. Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Sanjivani College of Pharmaceutical Education &
Research, Kopargaon

2. Definition
Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee is an advisory body
and liaises between the medical staff and pharmacy
department on all matters pertaining to the use of drugs in
the hospital with a primary objective of rational drug use.

3. • Pharmacy and therapeutic committee of the hospital is an instrument ,which ensures
rational and effective use of drugs in the hospital.
• The PTC also has a role in assuring the quality of the preparation reaching the patient and
in maintaining drug safety through
 -Reviewing and monitoring ADRs ,
 -Efficacy of drugs ,
 -Control and inspection of drug manufacture,
 -Distribution and storage conditions in the pharmacy and nursing
 stations.

4. Composition
• 3 Physicians
• Pharmacist
• Hospital administrator
• Nursing superindent
• Other invitees

5. Objectives
• Advisory
• Educational
• Monitoring drug safety

6. Operation
• Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee should be composed of minimum of
three physicians, a pharmacist, administrator, nursing superindent.
• One of the physicians act as Chairman and Pharmacist as Member Secretary.
• The hospital administrator will act as ex-officio member of the committee.
• The committee should meet at least six times a year and also when ever
necessary.
• The committee can invite experts from other hospitals for its meetings for
expert comments, skills and judgments.

7. • The secretary should prepare an agenda for its meeting and should circulate
well in advance to all the members and identified invitees.
• After the meeting, minutes of meeting should be sent to all its members and
the same should be documented in the hospital records.
• Recommendations of the committee shall be presented to the medical staff
or its appropriate committee for adoption or recommendation
• PTC should maintain the liaison with other hospital committees such as
infection control committee and medical audit committee.

8. Role or purposes of committee
The primary purposes of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee are as specified in the
following:
• 1. Advisory. The committee recommends the adoption of, or assists in the formulation of
policies regarding evaluation, selection, and therapeutic use of drugs in hospitals
• 2. Educational. The committee recommends or assists in the formulation of programs
designed to meet the needs of the professional staff (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and
other health-care practitioners) for complete current knowledge on matters related to
drugs and drug use.

9. Functions
• PTC serves as an advisory body to medical staff and hospital
administrators pertaining to the use of drugs including investigational
drugs.
• PTC plays an important role in the development of Formulary, selection of
drugs for hospital use.
• PTC develops suitable educational programs to the hospital staff
pertaining to drug use
• PTC study the problems related to the distribution and administration of
medications, including medication incidents.

10. • Reviews adverse drug reactions occur in the hospital.
• Initiates or directs drug use review programs and studies and review the
results of such activities.
• Advises the pharmacy in the implementation of effective drug distribution
and control procedures.
• Make recommendations concerning drugs to be stocked in hospital patient
care area.

11. Policies of the committee
• Inclusion of a drug in the formulary in various categories such as
Formulary drug
 Approved for conditional trial period
 Specialized formulary drug
 Investigational drug
 Non Formulary drug

12. • PTC may authorize pharmacy department to dispense drugs by generic
name.
• PTC may govern the movement of medical representatives activities with in
the hospital
• If any drug recalls are there, such category drugs should be removed from
the pharmacy and should be kept in quarantine before they are dispatched to
the concerned.

13. • All prescriptions should be legitimately written consisting of
 Patient demographic details
 Name of the nursing unit
 Name & Strength of each drug
 Directions for frequency of administration
 Route of administration
 Prescriber’s Signature & Date

14. • Intra Venous orders must be written in the same way with the following
information
 The exact qty of the drug to be added
 Volume & Name of the infusion solution
 Directions for IV administration
 Directions for continuation and discontinuation of the drug.

15. • Guidelines for the preparation and dispensing of Total Parenteral Nutrition
• Guidelines for the self medication drug list and quantity at the patient bed
side.
• Guidelines for prescribing control drug substances
• Guidelines for discharge prescriptions
• Outpatient prescribing.

16. Role of PTC in drug safety
To monitor the drug safety
• Pharmacy should be manned with a qualified registered pharmacy
• Pharmacy technicians are only permitted to dispense the drugs
• Pharmacy should have a safe work place, safe place for stocking the drugs.
• Hospital should have firm formulary
• Adequate storage facilities for poisonous drugs
•

17. • Separate storage facilities for external use preparations
• The chief pharmacist may be permitted to engage in teaching the nursing
and resident staff.
• Pharmacy should have a reference library.

18. Role of PTC in Adverse Drug reaction
program
• Availability of ADR forms in every ward.
• All reported ADR events should be reviewed periodically and documented suitably.
• An awareness campaign should be conducted periodically to update the knowledge
• PTC is responsible for the preparation of emergency box list.
• PTC monitors drug utilization review in the hospital by reviewing the patient
medication profile forms.

19. Agenda of the meeting
• Minutes of the previous meeting
• Review of a specified section of the formulary for up dating and deletion of
products
• New drugs which have become commercially available
• Investigational use of drugs currently in use in the hospital
• Review of adverse drug reactions reported in the hospital since last meeting
• Drug safety in the hospital