Use
A common problem when comparing drugs is that different medications can be of different potency. For example, 20 mg of the beta blocker propranolol are much less effective than 20 mg of the beta blocker bisoprolol. To reflect this, the WHO has decided on a DDD for propranolol of 160 mg and for bisoprolol of 10 mg. Individual patients can still be prescribed higher or lower doses, for instance in children, patients with liver or kidney impairment, patients with a combination therapy, or due to differences in drug metabolism between individuals or ethnicities (genetic polymorphism).
The DDD system is most frequently used in academic articles and reports, and as a tool for comparison and control over nationwide total drug consumption. For example, the overall drug consumption of beta blockers can be measured in DDDs and compared between different countries, sexes or other populations.
Read more about this topic: Defined Daily Dose
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