title: Are treatment guides and rational drug use policies adequately exploited in combating respiratory system diseases?
abstract: The aim of the present study was to increase awareness regarding the rational use of medicines. The data were obtained via the Material Resources Management System Module of the Ministry of Health. For the appropriateness of treatments, the Global Initiative for Asthma, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, and the guidelines for the rational use of medicines were used. We also investigated whether any de-escalation method or physical exercise was performed. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics to determine the mean, standard deviation, and frequency. The results showed that healthcare providers ignored potential drug reactions or adverse interactions, and reflecting the lack of adherence to the current treatment guides, 35.8% irrational use of medicines was recorded. Thus, de-escalation methods should be used to decrease costs or narrow the antibiotic spectrum, antibiotic selection should consider the resistance patterns, culturing methods should be analyzed, and monotherapy should be preferred over combination treatments.
authors.affiliation: Namik Kemal University School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, 59100 Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.affiliation: Namik Kemal University School of Medicine, Department of Pulmonary Diseases, 59100 Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors.forename: Levent C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Mutlu
authors.affiliation: Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Health, State Hospital, Department of Pharmacovigilance and Rational Drug Use Team, 59100 Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Namik Kemal University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, 59100 Tekirdag, Turkey. Electronic address: bulentbilir@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bilir
authors.affiliation: Namik Kemal University School of Medicine, Department of Public Health, 59100 Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gamze
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varol Saracoglu
authors.affiliation: Namik Kemal University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 59100 Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aliye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yildirim Guzelant
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004363:Drug Utilization; D017850:Economics, Pharmaceutical; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Asthma; COPD; Pneumonia; Rational use of drugs