Description of the Global Drug Information Service
The Samford University Global Drug Information Service (SUGDIS) is a fee-for-service operation housed in the McWhorter School of Pharmacy in Birmingham, Alabama that focuses on three core activities: service, education, and research. This unique center provides comprehensive drug information services to over 15 clients within a variety of health care settings (e.g., hospitals, HMOs, nursing home). SUGDIS, an academic and service unit of the McWhorter School of Pharmacy, completes projects that include pharmacy practice and medication use evaluations. Recognizing that the changes in health care are increasing the roles of pharmacists as patient care providers outside of the hospital, SUGDIS is committed to assisting pharmacists in these sectors of pharmacy practice and is actively pursuing relationships with organizations representing them.
The overall services provided include, but are not limited to, drug information consults, committee support (Pharmacy and Therapeutics [P&T], Institutional Review Board [IRB], Infection Control), formulary management, policy and procedure development, drug therapy practice guidelines generation, drug formulary list generation, an Antibiotic Management Program, Drug Usage Evaluation (DUE) and Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) programs, and nursing home consulting. Teaching programs include didactic courses in Drug Information Systems and Drug Literature Evaluation and the experiential based precepting of Pharm.D. students completing the Drug Information Advanced Practice Experience (i.e., clerkship rotation). Information services are provided to health care professionals of the subscribing institutions and Samford faculty by a staff of drug information specialists and residents, McWhorter School of Pharmacy librarian and clerical support. SUGDIS has extensive computerization of drug information databases and resources. Furthermore, an extended collection of other resources (textbooks, journals, databases, etc.) is available within either the Center or the Samford University Library. The Center occupies over 3,000 square feet in Ingalls Hall and has offices, fixtures, and equipment to accommodate an entry-level Pharm.D. program with 125 students per class.
Since Samford University is not directly affiliated with a hospital, SUGDIS was started as a subscription service to meet the drug information needs of health care professionals within Alabama and surrounding states. For a very reasonable annual fee, each subscriber has access to comprehensive drug information services. Access to pharmacy faculty specialists and medical experts as consultants to SUGDIS expand the expertise available to answer questions and solve problems for the Center's subscribers. The Center's annual operating budget is over $250,000 that incorporates expenses that include extensive information resources (e.g., journals and textbooks), computer technology, and support staff.
Because the SUGDIS personnel are active consultants for many different hospitals and other health care entities in addition to participating in national organizations, their extended perspectives benefit the subscribers. Responding to drug information requests occupies approximately 35% of daily activities while a portion of the remaining time is involved at the drug policy level with P&T, IRB, CQI, and Infection Control Committee support. Formulary evaluation is another crucial responsibility for SUGDIS as is Continuing Education for medical, pharmacy, and nursing personnel.
As you can see from this description, our services provide medication use and pharmaceutical care support at a very high level for the subscribing institutions at a modest price.
For more information regarding these services, see the DI Center Services page. The SUGDIS Quality Assurance Survey depicts data which is utilized to ensure that the SUGDIS objectives are being accomplished as well as fulfilling the needs and expectations of our clients.