Medical Center Clinical Rotation for Pharmaceutical Drug Information Professionals

Abstract

Drug information practitioners can be at a disadvantage in that they do not work directly in patient-care environments. This article describes a clinical rotation program developed to enable Parke-Davis drug information colleagues to experience a contemporary patient care environment at a local medical center. In March 2000, 13 Parke-Davis drug information professionals completed one-day rotations at Morristown Memorial Hospital. The general medicine clinical rotation provided meaningful experience in observing state-of-the-art health care, helped drug information colleagues better relate to the situations that health professional customers face, fostered more effective communication with health care professionals and patients, and provided a better appreciation of patient-care literature and in preparing drug information-medical communications that refer to and discuss patient care situations. Morristown Memorial Hospital has been invited to participate in a rotation program at Parke-Davis.