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Combating inappropriate use of medicines
1WHO Regional Office South East Asia, World Health House, Indraprastha Estate, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110002, India. hollowayk@searo.who.int
Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology
|November 26, 2011
Summary
Less than half of patients adhere to medical guidelines, leading to harm and resistance. A coordinated, multi-faceted approach combining education and management is crucial for improving medicine use globally.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Pharmaceutical Policy
- Global Health
Background:
- Inappropriate medicine use affects over half of patients globally, leading to poor outcomes, adverse events, and antimicrobial resistance.
- This issue results in significant waste of healthcare resources and direct patient harm.
- Addressing inappropriate medicine use is a critical global health challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review global evidence on strategies to combat inappropriate medicine use.
- To highlight the importance of a structured approach involving measurement, determinant identification, intervention, and policy.
- To discuss opportunities for strengthening health systems and international cooperation.
Main Methods:
- Review of global evidence on interventions to improve medicine use.
- Analysis of the four key steps in combating inappropriate use: measurement, determinant identification, intervention, and policy.
- Discussion of the impact of educational versus combined managerial and educational interventions.
Main Results:
- Most interventions have been educational with limited impact, often neglecting behavioral determinants.
- Combined managerial and educational interventions show greater effectiveness than single approaches.
- Less than half of countries possess policies actively promoting appropriate medicine use.
Conclusions:
- Effective strategies require nationally coordinated, context-specific packages of interventions and policies.
- Strengthening health systems and aligning international aid are essential for combating inappropriate medicine use.
- There is a growing global recognition of the need for coordinated action to improve medicine utilization.
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