The formulary system is a method by which physicians and pharmacists, working through a Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of the medical staff, evaluate and select medications for use in a hospital. the hospital formulary system provides the information for procuring,prescribing,dispencing and administrative of drug under non proprietary names and instance where drugs have both names.

1. HOSPITAL
FORMULARY
M.Pharm
ARCHANA CHAVHAN

2. DEFINITION:
 Hospital Formulary is defined as a list of drugs
used in the hospital.
 Formulary system is method whereby the medical
staff of an institution, working through the PTC,
evaluates, appraises, and selects from among the
numerous available drug entities & drug products
those that considered most useful in patient care.

3. THE NEED FOR HOSPITAL FORMULARY:
 The increasing no. of new drugs manufactured
and marketed by drug companies
 Increasing complexity of untoward effects of
modern potent drugs
 Newer sales promotion strategies of
pharmaceutical industry.
 The public interest in getting possible health
care at lowest possible cost.

4. GUIDELINE PRINCIPLES OF HOSPITAL
FORMULARY
 A multidisciplinary PTC is appointed for
organization of various hospital day to day
activities.
 The formulary system shall be sponsored by the
medical staff based upon the recommendations of
the PTC.
 The medical staff should adopt the principles of the
system to the needs of the particular institution.
 The PTC shall adopt written policies & procedures
governing the formulary system.

5.  Non proprietary names should be included in the
formulary
 Limiting the number of drug entities and drug products
routinely available from the pharmacy can produce
substantial patient care and financial benefits.
 The formulary system is informed to the entire medical
and nursing staff.
 The pharmacist shall be responsible for the
specification as to the quality, & source of supply of all
drugs, chemicals, biological & pharmaceutical
preparations.

6. GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR ADMISSION OR
DELETION OF DRUGS IN THE FORMULARY
 Drugs must be recognised by the pharmacopeia
and formularies approved under D&C act.
 The manufacturer of drug should have license
for manufacturing.
 Preparation of secrete composition should not be
admitted in the formulary
 Preparation containing many ingredients should
be admitted if the similar therapeutic effect can
be obtained by the use of single ingredient.

7. PREPARATION OF
HOSPITAL FORMULARY

8. 1. INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION
Acknowledgement
List of abbreviations
Intended usage of the formulary
manual

9. 2. BASIC INFORMATION OF THE DRUG
 Generic name, dosage form, strength
 Indications
 Pharmacological action
 Precautions
 Side effects
 Dosage – form, frequency
 Instructions
 Drug interactions

10. 3. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION ON
EACH DRUG
Price
Regulatory category
Storage guidelines
Patient counselling information
Brand names

11. 4. PRESCRIBING AND DISPENSING
GUIDELINES
 Principles of prescription writing
 Name and address of the patient
 Prescribed drug should be written in formulary
terminology
 Strength of prescribed medication must be given in
accepted metric system.
 Correct dispensing guidelines
 Prevention and reporting of ADRs

12. 5. GENERAL DRUG USE ADVICE
Use of IV additives
Prescribing in special situations
Poisoning and antidotes

13. 6. OTHER COMPONENTS
 Formulas for various diagnostic stains, diagnostic
aids
 Table of common Lab-values
 Posological tables
 Index of the drugs included in the formulary
 Metric units
 Indexes(by generic name, brand name, therapeutic
category)

14. 7. THE FORMAT
 Pharmacist decides the format before commencing
work on printing and publishing in the hospital.
 He has to collect formularies of some leading
hospitals as well as their format.
 Copies of finally published formulary may be sent to
bodies like directorate general of health services,
Govt of India, PCI etc.

15. 8. SIZE
 It is sufficiently small in size so that it could be
easily carried by clinicians, nurses etc, in the
pockets of their uniform or lab coats.
 The hospitals may determine their own size of the
formulary.

16. 9. TYPE OF FORMAT
 Loose leaf or Bound
 Printed or Mimeographed
 Indexing and Assigning categories

17. PRIVATE FORMULARY & NATIONAL
FORMULARY
Private formulary National formulary
Prepared by hospital’s own staff Prepared by nation’s outstanding
clinicians, pharmacologists and
pharmacists
Information given under each
monograph is subject to local
needs
Each monograph contains physical and
chemical properties, pharmacologic
responses, uses,toxicology,posology
etc.
Published in a more convenient
size & format
Since too many drugs are listed the
size of formulary is big.
Drugs may be added or deleted
with greater frequency
Drugs are added or deleted with less
frequency.