Post-graduate educational experience using the “Guide to good prescribing”, in the National Program “REMEDIAR”

Abstract

The rational prescription of medicines is attained when a drug is well selected in an adequate dose during an appropriate period of time at the minimum price for the patient and the community. According to the WHO 50% of medicines are inadequately prescribed, given andcommercialized. Irrational prescription of medicines is an inadmissible risk. It leads to ineffective treatments, causes harm and unnecessary expenses; it diminishes the quality of assistance and spreads the notion that there is a pill for each health problem. There are various factors at work in this process: promotional activities of the industry, lack of independent information, lack of continuing education, etc. The Guide to Good Prescribing uses a problem-based learning method so that the prescriptionis the result of clinical thinking and not a spinal reflex. With the aim of achieving the “Rational Use of Medicines” (URM), the REMEDIAR program provides medicines and trains physicians by means of arrangements with universities. The Center of Pharmacoepidemiology has set up thirty workshops in eight Argentine provinces, thus training 1,136 prescriptors. A 100% of the surveyed participants thought that training in URM was adequate and 80% gave a positive evaluation of the bibliography used. Educational experiences of this kind should continue in order to achieve a high-qualityprofessional kind of medicine that is effective and safe.