Model for drug usage review in a hospital.

A five-component conceptual model for drug usage review is discussed as it applies to hospitals. The components of the model are: (1) authority, (2) operational and demographic characteristics of the delivery system and the population served, respectively, (3) the existing profile of drug usage, (4) standards of appropriateness and review of drug usage, and (5) scheme of evaluation to measure the impact of review. A drug usage review program in a hospital should: (1) improve the level of patient care and often reduce the cost of care, (2) improve the management and use of hospital resources, (3) clarify the drug component of patient care and better integrate pharmaceutical services with other hospital services, and (4) improve the fact-finding capacity that can help identify and solve hospital problems.