title: [Drug information centre: contribution for rational use of drugs]
abstract: This paper describes the first year experience of a Drug Information Center directed to the community, and managed by pharmacysts and pharmacy students from the Department of Pharmacy-UFC, in Fortaleza, Brazil. This pioneer experience recieves technical assistance from the "Centro Regionali di Informazione sul Farmaco-CRIF (Mario Negri Institute Milan-Italy). Those who consult us are registered on a codified formullary while individual information, questions and prepared answers are introduced on a database. From December 1994 to November 1995, 246 persons telephoned CIM-UFC for drug information of which 39% were medicine users, 32% pharmacysts, 17% patients relatives, 4,5% health students, 4% doctors, 0,8% nurses and 2,8% others. The principal questions were related to Adverse Reactions (28%) Indications (28%) and Efficacy (18%). The ATC 2nd level groups most referred to were vitamins, analgesics and antiinflammatory agents. The most frequent problems justifying drug use were classified as: Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases and immunity disorders; Symptoms, signs and ill defined conditions; Infectious and parasitic diseases. Requests are increasing regularly, responding to the mass media campaigns related to drugs and active information is provided by bulletins.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Informação sobre Medicamentos, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60431-327, Brasil.
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Arrais
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Cabral