Rational use of medecines and vaccines, the avaref initiative and the concept of nrna maturity
Introduction
The International Pharmaceutical Forum (FPI) is an annual meeting for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to discuss issues relating to the development of the pharmaceutical sector. The meeting is organized under the aegis of the Inter-Order of Pharmacists of Africa (IOPA), the Intersyndical of Pharmacists of Africa (ISPHARMA), the Association of National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agencies (AANRP) or the Directorates of Pharmacy and Medicines (DPM), and the Association of Central Purchasing Agencies for Essential Medicines (ACAME).
Launched by the African Council of Ministers of Health in Yaoundé in 1999, the first edition of the Pharmaceutical Forum was held in Benin in 2000. This year, Togo is hosting the 23ème edition of the FPI, whose main theme is “Universal access to healthcare: challenges, issues and prospects for the pharmaceutical sector”. The forum, scheduled for July 3-6, 2024, will address a number of sub-themes, including “Rational use of medicines and vaccines, the AVAREF initiative and the concept of NRA maturity”.
Context ant rationale
Rational use of medicines and other health products means that patients receive medicines appropriate to their clinical condition, in doses that suit their individual needs, over an adequate period of time and at the lowest cost to themselves and their community (WHO, 2004).Worldwide, almost half of all medicines are misused. WHO experts point out that this practice can have serious consequences: undesirable side effects, prolonged illness and even death, not to mention unnecessary additional expenditure on the part of individuals and governments, sometimes extremely high, particularly in countries where medicines are often paid for by patients, as is the case in several developing countries.
“For most people, inadequate access to medicines is the main problem,” says Hans Hogerzeil, Acting Director at WHO. “Unfortunately, the irrational use of available medicines is another major threat to health and leads to considerable wastage.”
Irrational use of medicines includes: over-treatment of minor illnesses, under- treatment of serious illnesses, misuse of anti-infectives, excessive use of injections, self-medication and premature discontinuation of treatment. Figures from several countries show that these practices are frequent, and not only in developing countries.
According to figures gathered in surveys submitted to the WHO, almost 60% of antibiotics prescribed in Nigeria in 2000 were unnecessary. In Nepal, over 50% of antibiotics prescribed in 1996 were unnecessary, and 40% of pharmaceutical expenditure in the same year was superfluous, due to inappropriate prescriptions. Worldwide, the proportion of unjustified antibiotic prescriptions is almost 50%.
It’s a scourge that calls out not only to pharmacists as drug specialists, but also to prescribers and patients as users. A thorny question then arises: what role can all players in the healthcare sector play in effectively curbing irrational drug use? It is therefore important for NRAs to have the optimum level of maturity to enable them to carry out their functions properly, particularly market surveillance.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
Propose appropriate solutions to curb irrational drug use
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
List the reasons for irrational use of drugs;
- Describe the consequences of irrational drug use;
- Explain the place and role of the pharmacist in the rational use of medicines;
- Describe WHO strategies for RDA maturity and rational drug use.
METHODOLOGY
This theme will be addressed in lectures and presentations (oral and/or poster). The selected speaker will talk about the rational use of medicines, highlighting the various consequences of their misuse, and describing the situation in his country. Experts will share WHO strategies for NRA maturity and their experiences in the form of lectures. Papers will be presented on this sub-theme by participants whose abstracts have been accepted. These presentations will enrich the debate and enable participants to share their experiences.
RESULTS
- The reasons that lead to irrational use of drugs include ;
- The consequences of irrational drug use are listed;
- The pharmacist’s role in the rational use of medicines is well known,
- The WHO’s strategies for RDA maturity and rational drug use are well known.