Effect of a workshop in rational pharmacotherapy for interns during family medicine clerkship in Samsun- Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to investigate the effect of rational pharmacotherapy workshop for interns on the rationality, cost and number of drugs prescribed.


METHODS
The participants were asked to prescribe a medication for acute noninflammatory osteoarthritis (ANOA), acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ARS), acute otitis media (AOM), acute uncomplicated cystitis (AC), and acute bacterial tonsillopharyngitis (ABT) before and after workshop. Total 3000 prescriptions were scored regarding rationality of the drug choice (0-10), format (0-5), instructions (0-4), legibility (0-1) and total (0-20 points). The mean number of drug(s) and total costs per prescription were calculated. Paired samples t-test was used to compare the pre- and post score means.


RESULTS
Total pre- and post-prescribing scores (0-20) were significantly different (p=0.00 for each): ANOA (13.59±0.27, 18.33±0.18), ARS (13.26 ±0.18, 15.15 ±0.17), AOM (12.58 ± 0.26, 14.66±0.27), AC (13.53±0.17, 15.76±0.20), ABT (13.54±0.24, 15.49 ±0.28). Mean number of drugs per prescription for the indications in the pre-test and post-test were: ANOA (1.24 ±0.29, 1.02±0.01, p=0.00), ARS (2.08±0.04, 2.00±0.04, p=0.16), AOM (1.66±0.04 and 1.69±0.03, p=0.54), AC (1.55±0.04, 1.39±0.03, p=0.00) and ABT (2.10±0.05, 1.81±0.05, p=0.00). Mean costs per prescription in Turkish Liras: ANOA (6.31±0.29, 4.60±0.05, p=0.00), ARS (13.80±0.38, 4.63±0.04, p=0.00), AOM (10.18±0.28, 4.41±0.07, p=0.00), AC (11.33±0.21, 10.68±0.18, p=0.01) and ABT (12.03±0.34 and 10.41±0.35, p=0.00).


CONCLUSIONS
Training produced a significant improvement in rational prescribing.
Mustafa Fevzi Dikici, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Ondokuzmayis University School of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Mustafa
M
Fevzi Dikici
Fusun Yaris, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Ondokuzmayis University School of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Fusun
F
Yaris
Fusun Artiran Igde, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Ondokuzmayis University School of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Fusun
F
Artiran Igde
Fulya Yarar, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Ondokuzmayis University School of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Fulya
F
Yarar
Oznur Altuntas, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Ondokuzmayis University School of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Oznur
O
Altuntas
Aysenur Alper Gurz, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Ondokuzmayis University School of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
Aysenur
A
Alper Gurz
Family medicine; Rational drug therapy; Undergraduate medical education