How to Develop and Implement a National Drug Policy (Second Edition): Part II: Key components of a national drug policy: 9. Rational use of drugs

How to Develop and Implement a National Drug Policy (Second Edition)
(2001; 96 pages) [French] [Spanish]

Table of Contents

Contributors
Abbreviations and acronyms
Preface
Part I: How to develop and implement a national drug policy
	1. Introduction
		1.1 Essential drugs are not used to their full potential
		1.2 What is a national drug policy?
		1.3 Key components of a national drug policy
	2. The national drug policy process
		2.1 Overview of the national drug policy process
		2.2 Formulating a national drug policy
		2.3 Implementing a national drug policy
		2.4 Monitoring and evaluation
	3. Legislation
		3.1 Importance of legislation and regulations
		3.2 Framework for drug legislation
		3.3 Developing drug legislation and regulations
Part II: Key components of a national drug policy
	4. Selection of essential drugs
		4.1 Essential drugs
		4.2 Old problems and new challenges
		4.3 Strategies for the selection of essential drugs
		4.4 Traditional and herbal medicines
	5. Affordability
		5.1 Challenges
		5.2 Strategies to increase affordability
	6. Drug financing
		6.1 Challenges
		6.2 Drug financing options
	7. Supply systems
		7.1 Public or private? Or mixed?
		7.2 Drug procurement
		7.3 Local manufacture
		7.4 Distribution strategies
		7.5 Drug supply in emergency situations
	8. Drug regulation
		8.1 Need for drug regulation and quality assurance
		8.2 Basic requirements for drug regulation
		8.3 Core elements of drug regulation
		8.4 Stepwise approach to drug registration
		8.5 Quality
		8.6 Safety
		8.7 Efficacy
		8.8 Information and drug promotion
		8.9 Information exchange with WHO and with other agencies
	9. Rational use of drugs
		9.1 Why is it important to promote rational use?
		9.2 Challenges
		9.3 Planning for activities to promote rational use of drugs
		9.4 Core strategies to improve drug use
		9.5 Educational strategies
		9.6 Managerial strategies to promote rational drug use
		9.7 Regulatory strategies to promote rational drug use
		9.8 Promoting rational drug use in the private sector
	10. Research
		10.1 Introduction
		10.2 Strategies to promote research
	11. Human resources development
		11.1 Introduction
		11.2 Strategies for human resource development
	12. Monitoring and evaluation
		12.1 Monitoring and evaluation are part of a national drug policy
References
Selected WHO publications and documents of related interest
Back cover

9. Rational use of drugs

Key policy issues

The rational use of drugs means that patients receive medicines appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their individual requirements, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest cost to them and their community. Irrational drug use by prescribers and consumers is a very complex problem, and calls for the implementation of many different interventions at the same time. Efforts to promote rational drug use should also cover the use of traditional and herbal medicines. Key policy issues are:

• development of evidence-based clinical guidelines, as the basis for training, prescribing, drug utilization review, drug supply and drug reimbursement;

• establishment and support of drugs and therapeutics committees;

• promotion of the concepts of essential drugs, rational drug use and generic prescribing in basic and in-service training of health professionals;

• the need and potential for training of informal drug sellers;

• continuing education and independent, unbiased drug information;

• consumer education, and ways to deliver it;

• financial incentives to promote rational drug use;

• regulatory and managerial strategies to promote rational drug use.

Rational drug use requires that patients receive medications appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their individual requirements, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest possible cost to them and their community. Rational drug use promotes quality of care and cost-effective therapy. It helps to ensure that drugs are used only when they are needed, and that people understand what the medicines are for and how to use them.

Policies to promote rational drug use need to address the prescribers, dispensers and consumers of drugs as well as manufacturers and sellers, and traditional healers. All these actors have an important influence on how drugs are used. A variety of strategies and interventions are needed to influence drug use.