title: Are we using drugs rationally? A survey study from Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the rational use of drugs from patient's perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted at the Afyon Kocatepe University Training and Research Hospital between February and March 2013. Data were collected with a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square test were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 54% (n=419) of participants reported that they used drugs without the advice of a physician. The 19-24 age group, secondary and high school graduates, and students used drugs more often without consulting a physician (P < 0.05). Participants that used drugs after consulting a physician did not fully use the drugs as recommended by the physician, and physicians did not give patients adequate information about prescribed drug(s). 72% of participants stored drug(s) at home.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rational use of drugs is not completely achieved. Certain patient groups and even physicians are closer to being a part of the irrational use of drugs.
authors.affiliation: Serife Ozdinc, MD. Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, School of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serife
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozdinc
authors.affiliation: Nazli Sensoy, MD. Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, School of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nazli
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sensoy
authors.affiliation: Rumeysa Kurt, 5th Grade Student, Afyon Kocatepe University, School of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rumeysa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.affiliation: Sevda Altas, 5th Grade Student, Afyon Kocatepe University, School of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altas
authors.affiliation: Ramazan Altun, 5th Grade Student, Afyon Kocatepe University, School of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Altun
keywords: Drug; Irrational use of drugs; Patient; Physician; Prescribed drug; Rational use of drugs