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Abstract
The Palestinian Ministry of Health introduced an essential medicines list (EML) in 2000 to improve rational use of medicines and contain costs. We have examined the effects of the EML in the Palestinian healthcare public sector. We obtained data on prescription patterns for medicines from 3570 prescriptions given during outpatient visits in 17 healthcare facilities in the West Bank from 1997 to 2003. We analyzed the prescriptions to measure rational use. We modeled indicators of rational use as a function of the EML and 16 health center indicator variables. The EML was effective in shifting all prescribing indicators toward standard values. To improve rational medicine use, treatment protocols for the most common diseases and continuous education for medical staff is required.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
At the time this research was conducted, Samer Hamidi was employed at the Palestinian Ministry of Health. This paper was derived from his academic research and he currently serves as the Director of Medicine Policies at the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.