Evidence-based Pharmacy In Developing Countries
Many developing nations have developed national drug policies, a concept that has been actively promoted by the WHO. For example, the national drug policy for Indonesia drawn up in 1983 had the following objectives:
- To ensure the availability of drugs according to the needs of the population.
- To improve the distribution of drugs in order to make them accessible to the whole population.
- To ensure efficacy, safety quality and validity of marketed drugs and to promote proper, rational and efficient use.
- To protect the public from misuse and abuse.
- To develop the national pharmaceutical potential towards the achievements of self-reliance in drugs and in support of national economic growth.
To achieve these objectives in Indonesia, the following changes were implemented:
- A national list of essential drugs was established and implemented in all public sector institutions. The list is revised periodically.
- A ministerial decree in 1989 required that drugs in public sector institutions be prescribed generically and that pharmacy and therapeutics committees be established in all hospitals.
- District hospitals and health centers have to procure their drugs based on the essential drugs list.
- Most drugs are supplied by three government-owned companies.
- Training modules have been developed for drug management and rational drug use and these have been rolled out to relevant personnel.
- The central drug laboratory and provincial quality control laboratories have been strengthened.
- A major teaching hospital has developed a program on rational drug use, developing a hospital formulary, guidelines for rational diagnosis and treatment guidelines for the rational use of antibiotics.
- Generic drugs have been available at affordable costs to low-income groups.
Read more about Evidence-based Pharmacy In Developing Countries: Encouraging Rational Prescribing, Rational Dispensing, The Essential Drugs Concept, Communicating Clear Messages, Drug Donations, Evidence-based Pharmacy Practice, Conclusions
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