[Drug regulation: theory and practice]

Regulation of drugs from the public administration is an activity which is produced in different countries independently from the sanitary model they own. In the field of public financing of drugs there have been several measures to improve the efficiency of their use. However, the analysis of the impact of these measures is complex and this may justify the shortage of objectivable results, especially at long term. The objective of this study is to perform a systematic review of such measures due to the need to have information about the different alternatives before making a decision. The introduction of an isolated measure is in many cases compensated by other changes in other regulating or aiding fields which suggests the creation of an integral strategy which affects different fields (supply/demand of drugs and prescribers). It seems necessary to suggest a social debate taking as a basis the scientific information available at the moment and promote the taking of decisions which lead to a rational use of the available pharmacological resources.