The Pharmacy and Medical Devices Dictionary (KFA) was formally introduced to participants of the recently held National Forum for the Independence and Resilience of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Industry led by the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) after passing through the development and data input processes since the end of 2021.
To standardise data on pharmaceutical products and medical devices for the pharmaceutical industry, the medical device industry, government agencies, and health care facilities on a national scale, KFA was developed by the Directorate General of Pharmacy and Medical Devices in collaboration with the Centre for Data and Information – Digital Transformation Office (Pusdatin-DTO).
“The existence of this KFA is expected to be a reference solution for pharmaceutical dictionaries and medical devices so that more accurate and precise analysis of pharmaceutical data and medical devices can be carried out in order to meet the needs and availability of pharmaceutical products and raw materials. or medical devices, especially in conditions of disease outbreaks or natural disasters,” says Setiaji, Chief of Digital Transformation Office, Ministry of Health.
Because there were no data standards during the early stages of the Covid-19 epidemic, it was challenging to integrate data on the needs of the product supply chain. This was owing to the shortage of medications and medical devices that resulted from a considerable spike in demand for a certain period. As a result, the nation requires a platform to combine and standardise different data on medications, drug raw materials, and medical devices.
KFA is an innovation that provides information on pharmaceutical items and medical devices in the form of a web browser tag as the KFA Browser. Manufacturers, distributors, and the public can now use the KFA Browser to search for standardised reference pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, which can then be accessed via a website.
Every pharmaceutical product and medical device registered in the KFA Browser will have a single unique code that works as an identification to distinguish it from others. Visitors to the KFA Browser site can access product information data and its hierarchy using this code.
Around 4,569 product data have been successfully entered into KFA Browser to date. The figure will continue to grow in the future until it meets the aim of 133,101 total product data submitted and shown in the KFA Browser by the end of this year.
In the future, KFA Browser will be linked to SATUSEHAT, a platform for facilitating the exchange of health data and information between hospital systems, laboratories, pharmacies, and independent clinics.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health recently announced the Biomedical & Genome Science Initiative (BGSi) to provide precision medical services to the people. BGSi is the first national initiative programme established by Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin to develop more appropriate community treatment. The process, known as whole genome sequencing, is based on the technology of gathering genetic information (genome) from humans and diseases such as viruses and bacteria (WGS).
According to the Minister of Health, the development of the WGS is in line with the transformation of biotechnology in biosurveillance activities and health services aimed at enhancing disease detection and better treatment. Previously, the WGS approach was adopted and played a key role in COVID-19 prevention in Indonesia.
