title: Rational use effects of implementing an essential medicines list in West Bank, Palestinian Territories.
abstract: The Palestinian Ministry of Health introduced an essential medicines list (EML) in 2000 to improve rational use of medicines and contain costs. We have examined the effects of the EML in the Palestinian healthcare public sector. We obtained data on prescription patterns for medicines from 3570 prescriptions given during outpatient visits in 17 healthcare facilities in the West Bank from 1997 to 2003. We analyzed the prescriptions to measure rational use. We modeled indicators of rational use as a function of the EML and 16 health center indicator variables. The EML was effective in shifting all prescribing indicators toward standard values. To improve rational medicine use, treatment protocols for the most common diseases and continuous education for medical staff is required.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Jackson State University, 350 West Woodrow Wilson Drive, Jackson, MS 39213 USA. younis99@gmail.com
authors.forename: Mustafa Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Younis
authors.forename: Samer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamidi
authors.forename: Dana A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Forgione
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartmann
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000592:standards; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016527:Drug Costs; D018954:Drugs, Essential / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006077:Government Agencies; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East; D015233:Models, Statistical; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018954:Drugs, Essential; D055553:Prescription Drugs