The Level of Knowledge, Behaviors, and Attitudes on Rational Use of Drugs of Patients Who Applied to the Family Health Center in Istanbul, Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: This study, it was aimed to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of patients who applied to a family health center about the rational use of drugs. Irrational use of drugs is a major problem worldwide. WHO reports that half of the patients do not use their drugs correctly. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 October 2017 and 30 November 2018 at Istanbul Fatih Family Health Center No 7. The sample size was determined as 301 people selected by systematic sampling method from patients aged 18 and older. Results: The mean age of the participants was 53.8% ± 16.8%, 59.8% were female, 62.5% were married, and 52.5% were primary school graduates. 63.9% of the participants knew the names of the drugs they used, and 79.9% of them knew the indication for use. 89% of individuals check the expiry date of the drugs before using them, and 83.1% read the drug prospectus. 84% of the participants support the prohibition of using over-the-counter drugs. Conclusion: The level of knowledge of the participants about the rational use of drugs is above the societal average. However, some issues need more awareness. The high level of rational use of drugs awareness of physicians and pharmacists will also strengthen the rational use of drugs and indirectly increase the awareness of the public.

Clinical Analysis of Common Irrational Gastroenterology Medication Problems in The Gastroenterology Department

Objective: To investigate and analyze the irrational problems of common gastroenterology medications applied to gastroenterology patients during treatment, and to develop and implement countermeasures. Methods: This study included 60 patients admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology from January 2021 to December 2023 who were randomly divided into a control group (conventional drug management) and an observation group (targeted drug treatment), of 30 cases each. After the implementation of different management methods, the occurrence of irrational drug use and the incidence of adverse reactions between both groups were compared and statistically analyzed. Results: The incidence of irrational medication in the observation group (13.33%) was lower than that in the control group (40.00%) (P < 0.05). The occurrence of adverse reactions in the observation group (10.00%) was lower than that of the control group (36.67%) after treatment (P < 0.05). The observation group had a higher level of satisfaction after treatment (90.00%) as compared to the control group (66.67%) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Implementation of targeted drug treatment for gastroenterology patients reduced the incidence of irrational medication use, reduced adverse reactions, and improved patient satisfaction.

Estimated Financing Amount Needed for Essential Medicines in China, 2014

Background： At the present time, the government is considering to establish the independent financing system for essential medicines （EMs）. However, it is still in the exploration phase. The objectives of this study were to calculate and estimate financing amount of EMs in China in 2014 and to provide data evidence for establishing financing mechanism of EMs. Methods： Two approaches were adopted in this study. First, we used a retrospective research to estimate the cost of EMs in China in 2014. We identified all the 520 drugs listed in the latest national EMs list （2012） and calculated the total sales amount of these drugs in 2014. The other approach included the steps that first selecting the 109 most common diseases in China, then identifying the EMs used to treat them, and finally estimating the total cost of these drugs. Results： The results of the two methods, which showed the estimated financing amounts of EMs in China in 2014, were 17,776.44 million USD and 19,094.09 million USD, respectively. Conclusions： Comparing these two results, we concluded that the annual budget needed to provide for the EMs in China would be about 20 billion USD. Our study also indicated that the irrational drug use continued to plague the health system with intravenous fluids and antibiotics being the typical examples, as observed in other studies.

Medicine prescription practices of homeopathic undergraduate students in West Bengal,India

OBJECTIVE： To our knowledge, prescription of homeopathic medicines by homeopathic undergraduate students has not been studied before though it may possess serious implications. We aimed to determine the practice and attitudes of prescription by homeopathic undergraduate students. METHODS： A cross-sectional study was carried out involving all the students from four government homeopathic schools of West Bengal, India. Ethical requirements were ensured and data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Chi-square tests and logistic univariate regression analyses were performed to identify associations and differences. RESULTS： A total of 328 forms were completed. Of these, 264 （80.5%） homeopathic undergraduate students admitted of prescribing medicines independently and most （40.5%） said that they did this 2-3 times a year. The most common reasons for this were ＇urgency of the problem＇ （35.2%）, ＇previous experience with same kind of illness＇ （31.8%）, and ＇the problem too trivial to go to a doctor＇ （25.8%）. About 63.4% of the students thought that it was alright to independently diagnose an illness while 51.2% thought that it was alright for them to prescribe medicines to others. Common conditions encountered were fever, indigestion, and injury. Students who prescribed medicines were more likely to belong to Calcutta Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital （odds ratio = 5.8; 95% confidence interval 2.247-14.972）. Prescription by students gradually increased with academic years of homeopathic schools. Many students thought it was alright for students to diagnose and treat illnesses. CONCLUSION： Prescription of medicines by homeopathic undergraduate students is quite rampant and corrective measures are warranted.