Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
7
pubmed:dateCreated
1991-1-3
pubmed:abstractText
The government of Democratic Yemen started an essential drugs programme in 1984. Every month quantities of 30 drugs are delivered in prepacked kits to health units and standard treatment schedules have been agreed. The quantities of each drug were estimated by applying the standard treatment schedules to the typical morbidity patterns seen at these facilities. Most health workers attended a training course on the correct use of the standard treatment schedules. Hospital and health centres have been included in the programme to a more limited extent. In March 1988 an evaluation of the programme was carried out. Comparisons were made between random samples of health units included in the programme and those where it had not yet been implemented. The adequacy of knowledge necessary for reasonable use of drugs was assessed by interviewing health workers. Actual drug prescription was studied by means of quantitative indicators. A more qualitative insight was obtained by reviewing drug prescriptions for four tracer diseases at a sample of health centre and hospital out-patient departments. Health workers at units included in the programme had significantly (P less than 0.05) higher levels of rational drug knowledge and 'better' actual drug prescription in terms of proportions of patients receiving injections (25% vs 58%), antibiotics (45% vs 67%) and the average number of drugs per patient (1.5 vs 2.4)--all P less than 0.001. Many patients treated at health centres and hospitals were receiving irrational drug treatment for the tracer conditions. It is suggested that the methods used in this evaluation to measure rational drug prescription could be appropriate in the assessment of other essential drugs programmes.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0277-9536
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
31
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
823-8
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1990
pubmed:articleTitle
Evaluation of rational drug prescribing in Democratic Yemen.
pubmed:affiliation
Action Programme on Essential Drugs and Vaccines, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article