The Services Hospital Lahore Administration (SHLA) has announced new standard operating procedure (SOPs) for the provision of hospital medicine to the patients. New policy focuses the availability of medicine for the admitted patients at their beds and issuance of medicines to the patients directly from the hospital store will no more be allowed.
Objectives of the new policy are to ensure transparent and trouble-free delivery of medicines to the patients.
This was disclosed by Medical Superintendent Services Hospital Dr Muhammad Javed here on Sunday. He said that in future all indents would be signed by the sister in charge of concerned ward or unit and countersigned by the Senior Registrar on account of verification of quantity required for the patients.
He said that storekeeper would check and sign the indents for availability or non-availability and then on the basis of his report, the indents will be countersigned by the pharmacists or Additional Medical Superintendent (Stores).
Dr Javed further said that medicines would be issued from store after proper defacing having date of issuance of indent and unit name written on it. If any medicine found improperly defaced, the concerned storekeeper will be held responsible. He said that medicines shall be received by the concerned Head Nurse. Issuing dispenser or storekeeper will sign on the ward copy of indent while the recipient will also sign on the store copy of the indent verifying proper issuance and receiving. Both will write their names as well.
Dr Javed said that no medicines issued from the hospital will be handed over to the patient. Medicines will be kept in the custody of shift staff on duty. He said that in order to keep further transparency the empties of used medicines will be kept by staff after dispensing medicines and produced to duty pharmacist for checking according to indents and dates.