A multi-authored survey of instruments and methods developed to investigate patterns of drug consumption and to answer fundamental questions about prescribing practices, therapeutic value, and safety. By reviewing the state-of-the-art in research methodology, the book also aims to show how drug utilization studies can contribute to national health policies designed to promote the availability of safe and effective medicines, while also reducing costly over-medication. Information ranges from a list of studies for assessing the impact of regulatory policies, through a review of methods for monitoring adverse drug reactions, to a discussion of the reasons why a large proportion of currently marketed drugs have not been systematically evaluated for either efficacy or safety. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the methods needed to perform reliable studies in a standardized way. The book features 12 papers authored by experts in clinical pharmacology, drug policy, drug control, and consumer affairs. The opening papers discuss the relevance of randomized clinical trials to prescribing practice, and explain how drug utilization studies can support the concepts of therapeutic formularies and essential drugs. A paper devoted to descriptive tools and analysis describes different classification systems and units for the quantification of drug use and explains the defined daily dose (DDD) system. Other papers explore the application of drug utilization studies to assess drug risks, identify factors that influence drug use and patient compliance, and evaluate drug costs and expenditure. Another group of papers considers drug utilization from the perspectives of health authorities, health professionals, and consumer organizations. The concluding papers outline the elements of a teaching strategy on the rational use of drugs and discuss the extent to which research findings can be transferred from industrialized to developing countries.

DC.EURO

eng.

WHODOC

WHO monograph

4