engleski

Use of WHOs Essential Drugs in Croatia and Sweden

The WHO Essential Drugs list includes 300 drugs that should satisfy the health care needs for the majority of the population. Model lists are informational and educational tools originally intended for developing countries, but an increasing number of developed countries also use the key components of the essential drugs concept. We evaluated the quality of outpatient drug use in Croatia and Sweden, focusing on drugs accounting for 90% of the use - Drug Utilization 90% (DU90%)- in Defined Daily Doses and adherence to the WHO Essential drug list. Data on dispensed prescription and OTC drugs were collected from the wholesalers in Croatia and the National Corporation of Pharmacies in Sweden for 2003. In Croatia 101 substances (26% of 385) accounted for 90% of the use compared to174 (21% of 828) in Sweden. The adherence within DU90% was 36% in Croatia and 33% in Sweden. Although the total adherence was similar between the countries, there were substantial differences in the range of drugs used in some therapeutic areas. The low adherence in both countries was partly explained by mee-too drugs and extensively used drugs not included in the list (e.g. PPIs, SSRIs and statins). The DU90% profiles provided a quick overview of potentials for improvement in both countries but also a reflection on the relevance of the WHO Essential Drug list.

DU90 methodology; essential drug list

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