Criteria, Problems and Suggestions for the Selection of Medications Derived from Herbs Listed in the National List of Essential Medicines for Inclusion in Hospital Formularies

Abstract

Objective: To collect criteria, problems and suggestions for the selection of medicine derived from herbs (MDH) listed in the National List of Essential Medicines to be included in the formulary of the hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand. Method: This study was qualitative research in 25 pharmacists serving as secretaries to pharmacy and therapeutic committees (PTC) of 25 hospitals. The interview employed the 4M concept as a framework by classifying factors related to the selection of MDH in the National List of Essential Medicines for the hospital into five areas including policy and mechanism (management), personnel (man), budget (money), herbal medicines (material) and external factors. Data were collected using telephone interview until the data were saturated. Data were summarized using content analysis. Results: Researchers contacted 55 target hospitals by phone. Pharmacists representing 25 hospitals (45.45%) were willing to provide information. Seven criteria for selecting MDH had been used by respondents: 1) being cheap, 2) being a substitute for modern drugs, 3) being drugs used for diseases with high incidence in the area, 4) being drugs corresponding to those in the indicators set at the provincial level, 5) being effective treatment, 6) being convenient for patients to use, and 7) having convenient source of drug supply. The findings also highlighted problems and suggestions for the selection of MDH for the hospital in 5 areas including policy and management, personnel, budgets, herbal medicines and external factors. Conclusions: The study identified criteria, problems and suggestion for the selection of MDH to the hospital's formulary from the perspective of pharmacists acting as secretary of PTC.