Factors Affecting Public Education for Improving the Pattern of Drug Use: A Qualitative study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 M.Sc. in Management, School of Management and Medical Information, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

3 Department of Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Information, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Irrational use of medicines is one of the major problems in the health care system. The present study was conducted to investigate the viewpoints of specialists regarding the factors affecting the public education about the proper use of drugs in Isfahan.
Materials and Methods: This qualitative study based on the experts’ views and phenomenological strategy was performed using a semi-structured interview and open-ended questions in spring of 2016. Participants included 16 experts in the field of proper use and rational prescribing of drugs who were selected by a targeted sampling method to achieve theoretical saturation. Data immersion was used for rigour and documentation was done for trustworthiness. The interviews were evaluated descriptively by continuous comparison and content analysis method using coding after the implementation.
Results: Data were categorized in 8 main themes and 38 subthemes including: the role of people, the role of mass media, the role of pharmacies, the role of physicians, the role of social networks, the role of education, the role of the Ministry of Health and the role of municipalities.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicated the role of various factors affecting public education about the proper use of drugs as well as the existing problems and obstacles from the perspective of the experts. Development of targeted educational programs by the authorities and providing appropriate solutions to remove these obstacles could increase the public awareness and lead to the improvement of drug utilization pattern in our country.

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