Establishing and strengthening a medicine and therapeutics committee in a medical college in Nepal: initial experiences.

Drug and Therapeutics Committees (DTCs) serve as a forum to bring together various stakeholders to improve drug use. DTCs are a key intervention to promote rational use of medicines. DTCs are however, functioning in only a limited number of hospitals in Nepal. A Medicine and Therapeutics Committee (MTC) was started at KIST Medical College, a new medical school in Lalitpur district, Nepal to promote the rational use of medicines in February 2008. The MTC has members from various departments and the full support of the administration. The MTC has been involved in preparing the hospital medicine list and limiting the number of brands available in the pharmacy. Measures to regulate pharmaceutical promotion have been undertaken. Pharmacovigilance and medication counseling activities have been started. Educational programs for various levels of staff are regularly carried out and drug use in the hospital is periodically monitored. Initial experiences regarding MTC functioning is positive.