Impact of using essential drug list: analysis of drug use indicators in Gaza Strip

Abstract

A descriptive cross-sectional study evaluated the compliance of physicians with the Palestinian essential drug list (EDL) in all the government primary care clinics in the Gaza Strip. While 67.4% reported currently using the EDL 51.2% of these physicians reported problems in using it. The mean number of drugs per prescription was 1.92, the percentage of drugs prescribed from the EDL was 97.9% but the percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name was only 5.5%. A copy of the EDL was available in 28.3% of clinics and the availability of key drugs was 82.6%. The compliance of physicians with the EDL was generally good, but more efforts are needed to encourage prescribing by generic name and to ensure the supply of key drugs. 1School of Public Health, Gaza, Palestine (Correspondence to R. Fattouh: r_m_11@hotmail.com). Impact de l'utilisation de la liste des médicaments essentiels : analyse des indicateurs d'utilisation des médicaments dans la Bande de GazaRÉSUMÉ Une étude transversale descriptive a évalué la manière dont les médecins respectaient la liste de médicaments essentiels palestinienne dans l'ensemble des centres de soins de santé primaires publics de la Bande de Gaza. Si 67,4 % des médecins ont affirmé recourir à cette liste, 51,2 % d'entre eux ont déclaré rencontrer des problèmes lors de son utilisation. Le nombre moyen de médicaments par prescription était de 1,92 ; le pourcentage de médicaments prescrits à partir de la liste était de 97,9 %, mais le pourcentage de médicaments prescrits par nom générique atteignait seulement 5,5 %. Un exemplaire de la liste était disponible dans 28,3 % des centres et les principaux médicaments étaient disponibles à 82,6 %. En général, les médecins se conformaient bien à la liste des médicaments essentiels, mais des efforts supplémentaires pour encourager la prescription de médicaments par leur nom générique et pour assurer l'approvisionnement en principaux médicaments essentiels doivent être réalisés.‫املتوسط‬ ‫لرشق‬ ‫الصحية‬ ‫املجلة‬ ‫عرش‬ ‫السادس‬ ‫املجلد‬ ‫الثامن‬ ‫العدد‬ 887

WHO/INRUD drug prescribing indicators at primary health care centres in Eastern province, Saudi Arabia

“…This is similar to studies in Bahrain (99.8%) [21] and Gaza Strip (97.9%) [19]. Generally in other developing countries values higher than 80% have been reported [15][16][17][18].…”

“…Although this value was within the acceptable limit proposed in this study (≤ 3 drugs prescribed per patient encounter) and none of the PHCCs were above the cutoff value, data from some other developing countries reported a lower average number of Table 1 drugs per encounter, ranging from 1.3-2.2 [15][16][17][18]. In a study conducted in Gaza Strip, the mean number of drugs per prescription was 1.92 [19]. However, in a study carried out in 50 PHCCs across 5 governorates of Kuwait, the mean number of drugs prescribed per prescription was 2.9 [20] and in 4 PHCCs of Bahrain, the average number of drugs per encounter was 2.6 [21].…”

“…In other developing countries the rate of generic prescribing was above 59% [13][14][15][16]. However, in PHCC in Gaza Strip, it was only 5.5% [19] and in Bahrain, the rate of generic prescribing was 14.3% [21].…”

1086 WHO/INRUD patient care and facility-specific drug use indicators at primary health care centres in Eastern province, Saudi Arabia

“…However, it was lower than that in Gaza Strip, where the availability of key drugs was 82.6% [18]. A shortage of supplies of essential drugs that treat common health problems is harmful to the health status of patients [10].…”

“…In Yemen, a study reported that the EDL was only available in 78.9% of health facilities at different levels [6]. However, in Gaza Strip a copy of the EDL was only available in 28.3% of clinics [18]. WHO recommends adherence of physicians to the drug listed in the EDL/formulary when prescribing medications in order to ensure effective health care for all [9].…”