[e-drug] Patients behaviour when purchasing/obtaining drugs (4)

["Mwemezi Ngemera" <ngemera@gmail.com>]

E-DRUG: Patients behaviour when purchasing/obtaining drugs
------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Frank,

I have been following up this discussion for a couple of days. Frank
komakoma and Fasal has touched what is happening in health facilities.
I did a thesis on improving professional practice in management of
hiv/AIDS . One area was how how we can improve good prescribing
practice.It is evidenced that u neet integrated initiatives to improue
 the situation eg distribution of prescribing/dispensing
guidelines.But passive distribution is not enough, it need to be
coupled with face to face supervision, peer review,  performance
audits, regulatory inspections etc.But also  One thing i have learnt
is that there is a need to incorporate P-medicine concept in
pharmacy/medicine degree curricula.
Another challenge we should address is poverty and illiteracy among
patients as there are evidence showing  these two issues increase
irrational medicine use.This can be achieved by promoting free service
at point of delivery, social insurance and active public education.I
recommend a book by Chetley et al titled "how to improve the use of
medicines by consumers" 2007 edition. You can order it from WHO.

Mwemezi Ngemera,  MA Health Mgt, Planning & Policy; BPharm
Ass. ADDO* Coordinator
Tanzania Food & Drugs Authority
Ministry of Health & Social Welfare
Dar es salaam
Tel +255 713 134030
E-mail: <ngemera@gmail.com>

*ADDO = Accredited Drugs Dispensing Outlets ( a National Public
Private Partnership Program aimed at improving access to quality
medicines and pharmaceutical services in rural and peri-urban areas)