Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106631

Samer Hamidi¹, M. Mahmud Khan, PhD², Doreen Babo², Richard Culbertson, PhD², Janet Rice, PhD³, and Mustafa (Mike) Younis, DrPH⁴. (1) Tulane University, 6440 S claiborne avenue, Apt# 523, New Orleans, LA 70125, 504-865-7106, shamidi@msn.com, (2) Health Systems Management, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, #1900, New Orleans, LA 70112, (3) Tulane University SPHTM, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, (4) Health Care Administration, Jackson State University, 350 West Woodrow Wilson Drive, The Medical Mall, Jackson, MS 39213

Because of the increasing annual cost of drugs to the individual and society attributed to over prescription and irrational use of drugs, the Palestinian Ministry of Health (PMOH) introduced an essential drug list (EDL) to contain the costs and improve the rational drug use within the governmental health sector. This research examined the effects of the essential drug list program on rational drug use and the cost savings. Pooled cross-sectional time-series data used to evaluate the effect of EDL on the governmental drug expenditures. A set of indicators developed by WHO where used to measure drug utilization and rational use. A random sample of 3570 prescriptions for each health center divided equally on 7 years for all main 17 governmental health centers, and drug utilization quantities were collected. The drug expenditures variable was a function of real GDP per capita, EDL, drug utilization per capita, while the rational drug use variable was a function of drug availability in health centers and EDL. The essential drug list was very effective in improving the rational drug use, and reducing the drug expenditures. With the increasing proportion of the population aged over 65 or less than 5 years, the PMOH should locate more resources for pharmaceutical budget in the next coming years,otherwise, the availability of drugs will be reduced dramatically and many people will be forced to use the expensive private sector or go without treatment which will adversely affects the health of the population.

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