[A critical report on drugs in 1991]

Principal changes in the drug field in this country in 1991 were caused by the armed aggression committed against Croatia and the succession of disturbances that this aggression induced. Abroad as many as 13.6% of drugs could be ranked as category A. Here dominate some drugs for AIDS, which is a significant problem in medicine, but also some drugs for rare diseases ("orphan drugs"), like Gaucher's disease, precocious puberty etc. In this country (until the sovereignty was reached on October 8, 1991) 13.8% of drugs belonging to category B were approved. In category C ranked were 83.0% of drugs, abroad 75%. Two in this country (rutoside and creatinephosphate), one abroad (ditiocarb) were classed in category D. At preparing new Drug Law of independent Croatia, caution is necessary over numerous details which will enable us to become, in this field too, as soon as possible a part of the developed Europe. The latest List of Drugs that is paid by the Croatian Health Insurance is discussed. It comprises up to 230 generic names, excluding those that are--unjustifiably--most prescribed. The List's aim is to rationalize drug therapy, allowing other modes of prescribing improvement. To a large degree drug prescribing is not rational. The latest data (1990) have shown that only 4 out of 10 most prescribed drugs in Zagreb are undoubtedly efficacious, 9 out of 10 in Ljubljana, 5 out of 10 (1989/90) in former Yugoslavia, and abroad ("in the world") all 10. The characteristics of drug filed in war are reviewed as well as problems connected with drug donations. The importance of concern that "aimed" donations replace those that are not optimally used is stressed. The article ends with the question of the importance of objective information sources in drug field.