The Formulary Management Unit updates,
maintains and periodically reviews the Hospital Formulary, the Outpatients Formulary,
and the respective protocols. Updates include introductions of new medicines, deletions
of medicines when necessary, and changes in prescriber criteria, Schedule V
conditions mapping, and dispensing policies. This is carried out by optimising analysis
of information and evaluating clinical evidence, and in consultation with
physicians, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. More information on
the process of inclusion of medicines on the formulary is available here. The
process of amendments and deletions of medicines from the formulary is illustrated
here.
The Formulary Management Unit drafts circulars related to formulary
matters, such as new medicine introductions and medicine safety issues when
necessary.
Moreover, the Formulary Management Unit
regularly provides advice and technical assistance in the establishment of
technical specifications for procurement of medicines. The unit owns the
Specification Database of pharmaceuticals, which is regularly updated and
maintained. More
information on the process of formulation of new technical specifications is
available here, and on the process of amendments and deletions of existing
technical specifications here.