Medicus, Vol. 11 No. 1_Farmakologija, 2002.
Review article
The Role of Clinical Pharmacology for the Family Physician in Croatia
Božidar Vrhovac
Abstract
The development of clinical pharmacology
(CP) started in Croatia in 1970-ies. CP today is an important
factor in a constant fight for appropriate and rational drug
prescribing. Its functions are practical (services), educational
and investigational (research). Family physician (FP) should
use all these closely related functions for his/her own sake.
The basic condition for rational prescribing is regular, objective
critical information on drugs. It, present already in the
undergraduate studies, must be continued in the postgraduate
studies and especially in continuous education of FP and
pharmacists as well. Drug information must be based on feedback
of prescribing profiles, which should be continuously
analysed, and necessary measures (in the first place of the
educational nature) taken. FP prescribes 80% of drugs used
in Croatia, often under the not optimal influence of secondary
and tertiary specialists. Objective source of information (Pharmaca,
Drug bulletins) have a long tradition in Croatia but they
reach only an insufficient number of FP. Their influence on
prescribing is suboptimal and the National formulary still does
not appear regularly. Counselling in individual cases and feedback
information when reporting adverse reactions are examples
of help offered to FP by CP. In clinical trials (of new
agents or in investigation of new aspects of use old agents
which often cannot be performed without FP) the collaboration
of CP and FP is very important. CP must collaborate with the
FP in the evaluation of its prescribing and the rationality of
advices coming from specialists. The same is true in the work
in various drug committees beginning with that of the Croatian
Institute for Health Insurance (CIHI) and hospital drug
committees. This collaboration should be present also in the
various bodies of the Ministry of health. Without FP no law,
rule or bylaw, which concerns his work, should be prepared!
CP needs FP and vice versa. It is in interest of both that they
use the possibilities that this collaboration enables.
Keywords
clinical pharmacology and family physician; rational prescribing; sources of drug information
Hrčak ID:
19820
URI
Publication date:
13.2.2002.
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