Definition of Formulary

Formulary is a list of drugs that are reviewed and approved for hospital usage based on its clinical scope of services by a PTC (Pharmaco & Therapeutic Committee) also known as DTC (Drugs and Therapeutic Committee).

Preparation of Formulary

The hospital formulary is developed, maintained, and approved by the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee.
The Pharmacy is authorized to dispense the drugs which are listed in the Formulary only.
Formulary is reviewed at least once a year and then depending on the need drugs are added or removed.
The drugs must be dispensed under the generic names only
Physicians may specify specific brand names when deemed necessary.
Maximum THREE brands are made available.
The brands are selected on the basis of Quality, Cost, Supply, Availability, and Service by the vendor.
Prescribers can specify a specific brand name when deemed necessary (one among the three). Other than approved brands other brands will not be stored or dispensed from the pharmacy.
The items listed in the formulary must be available in the pharmacy unless it is notified by the appropriate authority for withdrawal or recall.
Soft copies of the approved formulary are made available to the prescribing physicians at their OPD offices & can also be accessed through Nursing Station computers by Consultants.

The hospital formulary is prepared and updated at least once a year or as required.
Implants and consumables are also listed as a part of the formulary.
It is the responsibility of the PTC committee to develop this list and PTC committee chairman approves the same.
Any drug which was procured in the previous year which was not included in the formulary will be considered while revising the formulary and may be included in the revised formulary if found necessary.
The formulary is made available to all treating physicians in a soft copy access.
It is the policy of the hospital to prescribe medicines only from the listed formulary.
Formulary is made available to the treating team including consultants, medical officers, nurses and pharmacist.
Frequency of prescriptions being rejected is monitored by the pharmacist.

The hospital formulary is developed, maintained, and approved by the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee.
The Pharmacy is authorized to dispense the drugs which are listed in the Formulary only.
Formulary is reviewed at least once a year and then depending on the need drugs are added or removed.
The drugs must be dispensed under the generic names only
Physicians may specify specific brand names when deemed necessary.
Maximum THREE brands are made available.
The brands are selected on the basis of Quality, Cost, Supply, Availability, and Service by the vendor.
Prescribers can specify a specific brand name when deemed necessary (one among the three). Other than approved brands other brands will not be stored or dispensed from the pharmacy.
The items listed in the formulary must be available in the pharmacy unless it is notified by the appropriate authority for withdrawal or recall.
Soft copies of the approved formulary are made available to the prescribing physicians at their OPD offices & can also be accessed through Nursing Station computers by Consultants.

Head of the Department/ Unit shall propose a new drug or a new brand of the available drug to be added in the formulary in Formulary Request Form.
The chief pharmacist looks through the demand for new medicine.
The chief pharmacist communicates the need for addition of new medicine in the formulary to the committee
In case the doctors feel the requirement of new drugs to be added to the Formulary, a requisition is sent to the Pharmacy, which in turn forwarded to the Pharmaco Therapeutics Committee (PTC) which is also known as Drugs & Therapeutics Committee (DTC).
The committee looks through the particulars of new medicine to be added. Viz. Market availability/ the vendor and supplier/ the manufacturer/ respective cost of medicine/ any special storage conditions/ any special process of handling.
The committee evaluates the request and gives opinion about acceptance or rejection of the request.
If need and demand is justified, then the committee adds the new medicine to the formulary.
Deletion of drugs from Formulary, which are present in the list but are not being used in the past consecutive two years.

The Consultant’s order for a non-formulary drug with the requisition of the non-formulary drug is received in the pharmacy.
The pharmacist checks the consultant name
Only senior consultants have the privilege of ordering a non-formulary drug.
The reason for use of the drug must be documented
PTC committee chairman verifies the request and approves/rejects the requests
The Drug is procured as a Local Purchase, by the Pharmacist for the time being and submits to PTC to review for suitability of addition in the formulary, which is presented in the next PTC meeting if the requisition seeks to.