The first step to improving the use of medicines is to measure it. Only by knowing how medicines are being used, can we know whether they are being used appropriately (correctly, rationally) or not. Also, only by measuring use can we evaluate whether interventions and policies to improve use are effective. Since many different medicines are used in many different environments by many different stakeholders – from community self-medicators to specialist prescribers – different methods are needed to assess the appropriateness of use in different environments. This section contains reports and and articles on:
- how to measure medicines in different settings (primary care, hospital, community) using standard methodologies
- reports (mainly review articles) on how medicines are being used in low/middle income countries, and
- websites that give more information on measuring the use of medicines and how medicines are being used in low/middle income countries
Methods and indicators to measure medicines use in low and middle-income countries
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How to investigate drug use in health facilities 1993: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js2289e/
How to investigate the use of medicines by consumers 2004: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js6169e/
How to investigate antimicrobial use in hospitals 2012: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/m/abstract/Js21031en/
How to improve the use of medicines by consumers 2007: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s14229e/s14229e.pdf
Drug and Therapeutic Committees: a practical guide 2004: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js4882e/
WHO Operational package for assessing, monitoring and evaluating country pharmaceutical situations: Guide for coordinators and data collectors. WHO/TCM/2007.2 http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/m/abstract/Js14877e/
Situational analysis of medicines management in South-East Asia 2016: http://www.searo.who.int/entity/medicines/country_situational_analysis/en/[/expand]
The use of medicines in low and middle-income countries
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Medicines use in primary care in developing and transitional countries; fact book summarising the results from studies reported between 1990 and 2006. WHO/EMP/MAR/2009.3. http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/m/abstract/Js16073e/
Community-based surveillance of antimicrobial use and resistance in resource-constrained settings, World Health Organisation, Geneva, WHO/EMP/MAR/2009.2. http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/m/abstract/Js16168e/
Holloway KA, Ivanovska V, Wagner AK, Vialle-Valentin C, Ross-Degnan D (2013). Have we improved use of medicines in developing and transitional countries and do we know how to? Two decades of evidence. Tropical Medicine & International Health; 18(6): 656-664. doi:10.1111/tmi.12123.
Holloway KA, Ivanovska V, Wagner AK, Vialle-Valentin C, Ross-Degnan D (2015). Prescribing for acute childhood infections in developing and transitional countries, 1990-2009. Paediatrics & International Child Health; 35(1): 5-13. doi:1179/2046905514Y.0000000115.
Holloway KA, Mathai E, Gray A, on behalf of the Community-based Antimicrobial use and resistance in resource constrained settings project group, (2011), “Surveillance of antimicrobial RESISTANCE in resource-constrained settings – experience from five pilot projects”, Tropical Medicine and International Health; 16(3): 368–374. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2010.02696.x
Holloway KA, Mathai E, Gray A, on behalf of the Community-based Antimicrobial use and resistance in resource constrained settings project group, (2011), “Surveillance of antimicrobial USE in resource-constrained settings – experience from five pilot projects, Tropical Medicine and International Health”; 16(2): 152-161. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2010.02695.x[/expand]
Online information relevant to medicines use
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Medicines website home page: http://www.who.int/medicines/en/
WHO publications on medicines: http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/en/
World Medicines Situation Reports: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/cl/CL1.1.1.2.1.5/clmd,50.html#hlCL1_1_1_2_1_5
Publications and reports on medicines access and use: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/cl/CL1.1.1.2/clmd,50.html
Training materials and Resources on medicines access and use: http://www.who.int/medicines/training/mar_training/en/
Monitoring policy and country pharmaceutical profiles in countries http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/policy/monitoring/en/
http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/coordination/coordination_assessment/en/index1.html
Country situational analyses of medicines management in South-East Asia: http://www.searo.who.int/entity/medicines/country_situational_analysis/en/
Safe Injection Global Network: http://www.who.int/medical_devices/collaborations/network/en/
Selection of Essential Medicines: http://www.who.int/selection_medicines/en/
Antimicrobial Resistance and stewardship: http://www.who.int/medicines/access/antimicrobial_resistance/en/[/expand]