Drug Utilisation Studies at Different Levels of Health Care A Pharmacoepidemiological Perspective of Morbidity Patterns Drug Use and Its Implications

Abstract

Many different approaches, integrating theories from social sciences, medicine, pharmacology and pharmacy are needed to understand the social forces involved in drug use. Drug utilisation studies are not simply anquot optional choicequot among the many existing means of evaluating drugs. They are valuable method of assuring effective feedback to help close gap between drug oriented and health oriented research. Ideas gleamed from drug utilisation studies should play a pivotal role in decisions taken during the formulation of health policy. There is an alarming need for adequate supply and distribution of drugs in primary health centres. The health authorities should ensure that adequate amounts of good quality essential drugs are made available for use in PHCs which would improve the health status from the grass root level. To make essential health care universally available calls for a more equitable and efficient use of health resources. Health education on drugs should be intensified in a manner that would reduce drug usage and improve patient compliance. The major target group for educational intervention should be youth, school children and women who could impart knowledge to others also. It is the duty of the doctors also to educate patients regarding the harmful effects of injections etc., so the patients do not demand unwarranted injections and drugs. 69 Unnecessary use of tonics, vitamin injections and capsules should be curtailed and consumer education imparted via multimedia advertisements, consumer health care groups and medical/paramedical personnel. Doctors prescribing dangerous drugs should have easy access to information on the products and adequate knowledge of its therapeutic use or misuse. Use of combination drugs or poly pharmacy should be minimised as drug to drug interactions is a vast and varied field and even the most erudite physician could land up in trouble due to unforeseen interactions. newline