Ministry Strengthens Asthma Care Review with Regional
The Ministry of Health and Social Development has launched a Medication Utilization Review (MUR) to strengthen asthma care across the Virgin Islands, partnering with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Pooled Procurement Service (OECS/PPS) to conduct and analyse the review. Healthcare professionals are being asked to take waist circumference measurements and record them on prescriptions as part of the data collection that pharmacists will manage, with findings to be shared at a follow-up workshop. The Ministry says the initiative is an ongoing, structured quality-improvement process aimed at ensuring medications are used safely and effectively, and encourages active participation from doctors, pharmacists and other providers.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development is stepping up efforts to improve asthma care in the Virgin Islands through the implementation of a Medication Utilization Review (MUR), the Ministry announced in a release from the Government of the Virgin Islands. The MUR — also referred to as a Drug Utilization Review (DUR) — is a structured and ongoing quality-improvement process that uses routinely collected clinical and dispensing information to check that medications are being prescribed and used appropriately, safely and effectively.
The Ministry has partnered with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Pooled Procurement Service (OECS/PPS) to carry out the review and to analyse the data collected across the Territory, the release said. Gracia Wheatley-Smith encouraged healthcare professionals to take part, describing participation as “not only a professional responsibility, but also a meaningful opportunity to contribute to the advancement of pharmaceutical care.” She said the review will allow providers to assess whether current treatment protocols are achieving the desired outcomes for patients.
As part of the initiative, doctors are being asked to measure patients’ waist circumference and record that measurement on prescriptions. The Ministry cited recent studies showing an association between waist circumference and adult asthma attacks and said capturing this information may help identify risk patterns among patients.
Pharmacists will play a central role in the programme by managing the collected data: compiling prescribing trends and other clinical information for analysis by OECS/PPS. “The data collected by pharmacists plays a central role in this process,” Mrs. Wheatley-Smith said, adding that comparing local prescribing trends with internationally established guidelines will help clinicians determine whether current practices are therapeutic and effective.
Where the review identifies gaps or inefficiencies, the team will make evidence-based recommendations and suggest targeted interventions to improve prescribing practices and patient outcomes. The Ministry said such adjustments could have effects beyond the Territory, contributing to regional and even international improvements in medication use and patient safety.
Once analysis is complete, the Ministry will convene a dedicated workshop to present findings and recommendations to healthcare providers. That forum will allow clinicians to discuss outcomes, share insights and plan implementation of any recommended changes in clinical practice across the Virgin Islands.
The Ministry described the initiative as part of its broader commitment to data-driven decision-making, regional collaboration and continuous improvement in health services. For more information, healthcare professionals can contact the Ministry’s public health communications team; press contact provided in the Government of the Virgin Islands release is Natasha Lettsome-Humphrey, Public Health Communications Specialist, Ministry of Health and Social Development.
This review invites participation from all relevant health workers and aims to deliver safer, more effective asthma care for residents while helping to align local practice with regional standards.
Primary source: BVI Government