Çukurova Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi (Feb 2012)
Evaluation of Drug Use Attitudes of Patient and Its Relatives Attending to Cukurova University Medical Faculty Balcali Hospital
Abstract
Objective: Irrational drug usage is one of the important public health problems in all countries. Also in our country irrational drug usage patterns is a serious problem and it increases the drug’s share of public health care costs. The aim of our study was evaluate the drug use patterns of patients and relatives of patients in Cukurova University Medical Faculty Balcali Hospital. Material and Methods: Face-to-face interviews (using a questionnaire about Rational Drug Use Survey) with 209 patients and patients relatives, admitted to Cukurova University Medical Faculty Balcali Hospital clinics. Results: 209 people participated in this study and 58 % (124) of these are women. The mean age of women was 41,39±13,76 and the mean age of the man was 44,67±13,55. If we decompose the participants to their educational attainment; primary school (34,4 %), secondary school (18,7 %), high school (26,3 %) and university (20,6 %). 11,0 % of the participants have no social security. 5,7 % of the participants have acute disease, 54,5 % of them have chronic disease and 39,7 % of them have no medical problems. 53,1 % of the participants said that they do not use drugs without consulting a medical doctor, 11,0 % of the participants said that they sometimes use drugs, 30,6 % of the participants said that they rarely use drugs and 5,3 % of the participants said that they often use drugs without consulting a medical doctor. 14,8 % of the participants said that they use drugs with advise of their relatives, friends and neighbors, 17,2 % of the participants said that they advise the drugs to their relatives, friends and neighbors when they were sick. 16,7 % of the participants said that they often use antibiotics and 77,5 % of the participants said that they sometimes use antibiotics without consulting a doctor when they had common cold or flu. 40,2 % of the participants said that they do not use herbal medicine in treatment. Patients with canser 2,4 %, patients with gastric 2,4 %, patients with common cold 55 % said that they use herbal medicine in treatment. The rate of the people, who buy drugs before they become sick, is 1,0 % for antibiotics, 7,2 % for flu drugs, 23,4 % for painkiller drugs. Conclusion: Information of rational drug usage pattern is sufficient for the patients who visit Balcali Hospital and this condition is related to their gender, educational level and social security level. [Cukurova Med J 2012; 37(1.000): 1-8]
