According to the Conference of Experts on the Rational Use of Drugs, convened by the World Health Organization in Nairobi in 1985, the rational use of drugs requires that "patients receive medications appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their own individual requirements, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest cost to them and their community."

There are activities to promote rational drug use in all countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. In most countries, essential drug lists and formularies, together with some standard treatment guidelines, have been established. Some countries have established national and local drug and therapeutic committees. A few countries have conducted drug use studies...