Rational prescribing and use

WHO estimates that a large proportion of medicines are prescribed, dispensed and used inappropriately. Moreover, many patients do not take their medication correctly. WHO promotes the rational use of medication to safeguard public health and to increase the effective use of financial resources. WHO advocates 12 key interventions to promote more rational use:
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  1. Establishment of a multidisciplinary national body to coordinate policies on medicine use
  2. Use of clinical guidelines
  3. Development and use of a national essential medicines list
  4. Establishment of drug and therapeutics committees in districts and hospitals
  5. Inclusion of problem-based pharmacotherapy training in undergraduate curricula
  6. Continuing in-service medical education as a licensure requirement
  7. Supervision, audit and feedback
  8. Use of independent information on medicines
  9. Public education about medicines
  10. Avoidance of perverse financial incentives
  11. Use of appropriate and enforced regulation
  12. Sufficient government expenditure to ensure availability of medicines and staff

For more resources and guidance, please refer to:
https://www.who.int/medicines/areas/rational_use/en/