title: A rational approach to the selection of useful drugs for clinical practice.
abstract: Confusion exists concerning optimal selection of drugs for clinical practice. Many reasons contribute to this confusion which derives from various sources including industry, the FDA and often less than ideal education of physicians in clinical pharmacology during medical school and thereafter. This presentation does not focus on allocating blame for the current unsatisfactory situation, but rather offers a solution to improve drug therapy. Our educational solution consists of a paradigm for rational drug therapy, specifically a checklist of eight criteria for physicians to review before prescribing drugs. Such a review would facilitate better estimation by physicians of risk/benefit ratios involving new, often expensive and, in some cases, questionably effective and safe drugs.
authors.affiliation: Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Reynold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spector
authors.forename: Elliot S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Vesell
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role