1. PRESENTATION ON DRUG AND THERAPEUTICS COMMITTEES (DTC), PEER REVIEW WORKSHOP
ON BETTER MEDICINES FOR CHILDREN.FROM 14TH TO 16TH DECEMBER, 2011 BY THE BONGO
DISTRICT HOSPITAL, U.E.R.
THEME : MAKING CHILD MEDICINES FRIENDLY AND ACCESSIBLY ACCORDING TO MY LOCAL NEEDS.
1. FRIENDLY - INTHIS CONTEXT, MEANS THE MEDICINEBYPERSENTATIONSHOULD BE
ATTRACTIVE,COSTEFFECTIVE,POPULARINAMONGST EVENPOORHOUSEHOLDS,LONGERSHELF-
LIFE,STABLEUNDERNORMAL STORAGECONDITIONS,CHILD-CAPPED PROTECTED,EASILYTO BE
IDENTIFIED FROM FAKEAND IMMITATED BRANDS BEFORETHEYGET ONTO OUR SHELVES,HAS
GRADUATED MEASURING CUPS FORDISPENSING ACCORDING TO CHILD’S BODYWEIGHT ORBODY
SURFACEAREA AND NOT BY THERAPEUTIC DOSAGE- RANGES; FOREXAMPLE, 1 TO 5 YEARS CAN USE
THE SAME PRESENTATIONOF PARACETAMOL SYPRUP BUT THATDOES NOT MEAN 1 YEAR CHILD
SHOULD BE GIVENA 5 YEAR’S OLD DOSAGE.
2. ACCESSIBLE– INTHIS CONTEXT, MEANS WHO OWNS THE PATENCY TO MANUFACTUREAND
DISTRIBUTEFROMAFARORNEAR, AND AT WHATPACE? CAN THIS PATENCY HOLDERAGREETO SHARE
WITH OTHERMANUFACTURES WHEN DEMANDS ARE BEYOND THE SCOPE? WILL THELOGISTICS
MANAGEMENT INFORMATIONSERVICES BEINDEPENDENTOF PARTISANPOLITICS AND FROMALL
STATES’ OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT’S BUREAUCRACY?
3. FOR SELECTED DISEASEAREA - INTHIS CONTEXT,: ACCORDING TO MYLOCAL NEEDS.BONGO DISTRICT
HOSPITAL FALLS WITHINTWO EXTREMED SEASONS: A SIX MONTHS OF DRY,DUSTY,WINDY,VERYHOT

2. HARMATTAN SEASONAND A SIX MONTHS OF RAINFALLS. SO WEDO EXPERIENCE
DYSENTERY,THYPHOID,CEREBROSPINAL MENINGITIS,SEVEREMALARIA,SEVERE
ANAEMIA,MARASMUS,RESPIRATORYDISTRESS SYDROMMEINNEW BORNS,ASHMATIC
ATTACKS,SEPTICAEMIA AND OTHERS. SO I DO THENASK MYSELF, WHENITCOMES TO PROCUREMENT
ISSUES, WHAT MIDICINES FORNEONATES, INFANTS’AND CHILDRENAREAPPROPRIATEFORTHE
RESPECTIVECONDITIONS LISTED ABOVE? FOREXAMPLE, WHICH TYPEOF ORAL REHYDRATIONSALTS
(O.R.S.) SHALL I NEED? A SLIGHTLYSURGERY, LEMONOR ORANGE FLAVOURED O.R.S. ORTHE
POPULARNORMAL OR PLAINTYPE? THE CIPROFLOXACIN250MG, IS ITSCORED TO BE DIVIDED ORI
NEED TO FIND ANINNOVATIONOF THE125MG TYPE? WHATABOUTA STABLE SUSPENION
FORMULATION FORINFANTS WHOCAN NOTSWALLOW ORDETESTS THE TASTE AND SCENT OF A
DISSOLVED TABLET? WHATABOUTTAKING INTO CONSIDERATIONTENDINITIESISSUEINSOME
DISEASE-PRONED CHILDREN?
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES OF DTCs IN BONGO DISTRICTHOSPITAL AREOUTLINED AS:
1. SUCCESSES –
A. A TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENTINRATIONAL DRUG USEINDICATORS. CONSTANTLYRAISING THEAWARENESS
THAT THE PHARMACIST, EVENTHOUGH DOES NOTFORMPART OF THE PRESCRIBING TEAMINTHE CONSULTING
ROOM, HE/SHEHAS MUCH TRAINING ONDRUGS MANAGEMENT THANTHE PRESCRIBERS, AND ALSO
PHARMACISTS HAVETHERIGHT TO INTERVENEINTHE MODEAND COSTOF TREATMENTS.

3. B. PERSISTENTLYPROVIDING PRESCRIBERS WITH ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LISTBYGENERICNAMES.
C. MEMORANDUMS ON THE STATE OF DRUGS’ STOCKS USING THELIFO,FIFO,NIFOPRINCIPLES.
D. CONSTANTLY VISITING THECONSULTING ROOMSWITH MATTERS PERTAINING TO IRRATIONAL
PRESCRIPTIONS.
E. PROCURING DRUGS MEETING THE NEED OF ALL CATEGORIES OF PATIENTS TO MINIMISE
THE CUTTING OF TABLETS UNDER UN-FAVOURABLECONDITIONS.
F. CONVEYANCEOF DTCs MEETINGS WITH THEPHARMACISTAS SECRETARY.
2. CHALLENGES –
A. THE PHARMACISTNOTCHAIR-PERSONATDTCs’ MEETING MEANS LESS FOCAL INDECISION
MAKING.
B. LESS AVAILABLETIMEFORMEETINGS
C. PRESCRIBERS VIEW SUCH MEETING AS GROUND TO BACKLASH THEMHENCE MUCH EXCUSSES
FORNOT BEING ABLE TO BE PRESENT.
D. SNACKS ARE DIFFICULTTO ARRANGEFOR, BECAUSE EVERYONE IS AFRAID TO TEMPERWITH
DRUG REVOLVING FUND.
E. DRUGS NON-AVAILABILITYCOUPLED WITH NO FUNDS TO MOMENTARILYPROCURE DRUGS
DIS-ORGANISES PLANS AND MODALITIES SETUP AT DTCs’ MEETINGS.
ROLES OF DTCs IN ENSURING BETTER MEDICINES FOR CHILDREN.
1. TRY TO FIND OUTFROMRECORDS AND CONSULTING ROOMS THENUMBER OF ALL
CATEGORIES OF CHILDRENTREATED ATPARTICULARTIMEOF THE YEAR BY DIAGNOSIS. THIS

4. WILL HELP TO DETERMINETHE CONSUMPTIONPATTERNOF CERTAINDRUGS FOR
PROCUREMENT PURPOSES.
2. ALWAYS INVESTIGATING THESTATE OF DRUG REVOLVING FUND ATACCOUNT’S UNIT.
3. TO ALERT PRESCRIBERS ONDRUGS WHICH AREABOUT TO EXPIREONMONTHLYBASIS.
4. TO HELP STREAMLINETHE DURATION OF THERAPYBY PRESCRIBERS.
5. TO MINIMISESYDROMMICTREATMENTS AS A WAY OF CHECKING THEPRESCRIBING OF TWO
DRUGS OF COMMONPHARMACOLOGICAL EFFECTS (ACTIVITIES) FORTHESAMESYMPTOMS.
ETC.
USE OF ZINC DISPERSABLETABLETS IN THE TREATMENTOF DIARRHOEA IN CHILDRENUNDER 5
YEARS OF AGE:
ZINCDISPERSABLETABLETCOMES INTHE FORMOF SULPHATEBY COMPOUNDING. ITIS
DIRECTED TO BE ADMINISTERED WITH ORAL REHYDRATIONSALT; PROBABLYDUETO FACT
THAT ZINC SULPHATEHAS AN ASTRINGENTPROPERTY.
THERE IS THE NEED TO HAVETHIS PRODUCT INA STREEGTH WHICH CANBE USED FOR
TREATING CHILDRENABOVE5 YEARS AND AS WELL AS ADULTS.
PRESCRIPTION AUDITDISSEMINATION OF PRELIMINARY RESULTS.
PRESCRIBING TEAMIS COMPOSED OF THEFOLLOWING;
1. THE MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENTOFFICER.

5. 2. MEDICAL DOCTORS.
3. PHYSICIANASSISTANTS.
4. PRESCRIBING - NURSES .
5. ETC.
DEPENDING ONTHEFINDINGS, PRELIMINARYRESULTS SHOULD BECLASSIFIED INTO THE
ABOVECATEGORIES OF PRESCRIBERS BEFORE BEING DISSSEMINATED TO AVOID THE
DESTRUCTIONOF THECONFIDENCEOF A FELLOW PRESCRIBER INOTHERPRESCRIBERS.
NO NEED FORNAMING AND SHAMING. PRESCRIBERS MUSTRECIPROCATETHISFINE
GESTURE OF RESPECT BY PHARMACISTS WITH HUMILITYAND SINCERITY.
TRENDS IN ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCEIN GHANA.
 POORCOMPLIANCEONTHEPART OF PATIENTS.
 WRONGFUL INDICATIONS.
 GENERAL DRUG ABUSE BY GENERAL PUBLIC. FOREXAMPLENEVER SATISFIED IF
TREATMENT DOES NOTCONTAININJECTABLES.
 FLAWS INTHE REGULATORYSYSTEM INPROCUREMENT; THE STORAGEAND DISPENSING.
 POLYPHARMACYISSUES.
 AVAILABILITY, AFFORDABILITY, ETC.
 NON AVAILABILITY OF APPROPRIATESTRENGTH FORNEONATES, GERIATRICS FOR
EXAMPLE, SUSPENSIONAMOXICILLIN+CLAVULANICACID 156.25MG/5ML-70MLS,SYRUP
GRISEOFULVIN125MG/5ML-100ML, SUSPENSIONFLUCONAZOLE50MG/5ML-35ML,ETC. AT
THE REGIONAL MEDICAL STORES.

6. PREPARED BY: Kweku-Duah Humphrey Nartey. AT THE BONGO DISTRICTHOSPITAL.DATED
ON 11TH
OF DECEMBER, 2011.
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 0207759000 OR 0267759000.
e - mail address: humphgh@yahoo.com