1. RATIONAL DRUG USE POLICY IN TURKEY
Dedeoglu, Burcak Deniz; Celik, Hatice Demet; Akbulat, Akif; Akar, Halil; Kerman, Saim.

2. Abstract
RATIONAL DRUG USE POLICY IN TURKEY Burcak Deniz Dedeoglu, Hatice Demet Celik, Akif Akbulat, Halil Akar, Saim Kerman Ministry of Health of Turkey, Turkey Studies were conducted by Ministry of Health and many different associations on the issue about “Rational drug use” in Turkey. Institutional activities regarding this issue has been initiated on by the Ministry of Health of TURKEY with the establishment of rational drug use department under the the department of pharmacoeconomics. Among the main purposes of the Rational Drug Use Department; generalizing the principles of rational drug use all over the TURKEY and performing campaigns with this aim can be stressed. In order to make suggestions to Social Security Institution (SSI) about the issues of; considering the principles of rational drug use while devoloping the repayment (reimbursement) plans, obtaining the education of the health staff on principles of rational drug use, evaluating the prescriptions according to principles of rational drug use, coordinating the publishment of the national guidelines for diagnosis and treatment and drug guideline periodically and measuring the awareness level of society and health staff about rational drug use. Based on the data taken from SSI, excluding the primary healthcare services, the number of patients applied to a healthcare service and invoices have been sent to SSI in 2008, 2009 and 2010 were , and (for first ten months of 2010) respectively, in Turkey. These numbers were classified as “outpatients”, “inpatients”, “others” and “daily” for months. In monthly distrubition perspective, the applications were higher in summer than winter. Total prescription number for workers, civil servants and green card owners in 2009 and 2010 (for first ten months of 2010) were and respectively and total prescription invoice number was billion TL and billion TL. while the average costs per prescription were TL. and TL, respectively. The expectation is, the rational drug use policy will reduce the total drug cost and increase the awareness of society and health staff about rational drug use.

3. Introduction
Studies were conducted by Ministry of Health and many different associations on the issue about “Rational drug use” in Turkey. Institutional activities regarding this issue has been initiated on by the Ministry of Health of Turkey with the establishment of rational drug use department. Among the main purposes of the Rational Drug Use Department; generalizing the principles of rational drug use all over the Turkey and performing campaigns with this aim can be stressed. In order to make suggestions to Social Security Institution (SSI) about the issues of; considering the principles of rational drug use while devoloping the repayment (reimbursement) plans, obtaining the education of the health staff on principles of rational drug use, evaluating the prescriptions according to principles of rational drug use, coordinating the publishment of the national guidelines for diagnosis and treatment and drug guideline periodically and measuring the awareness level of society and health staff about rational drug use.

4. Objectives
Evaluation the current situation about healthcare services and drugs by analaysing the data of SSI and IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.
The number of patients applied to a healthcare services and invoice costs; the number of prescription taken from Pharmacy Prevision System and invoice costs; 2010 drug units and costs according to ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical) codes were analaysed.

5. Results 1 Application Number (x1000) Invoice Cost (x1000 TL) Mean Cost
IC/AN (TL)
2008
63.48
2009
63.34
2010
66.59
2011
(first 5 months)
67.56
Table 1: The number of patients applied to a healthcare service, excluding the primary healthcare services, and invoice costs
Ref: SSI Monthly Statistical Bulletin; Publication No:13
P.S.: Data are expanded than the abstract because of the new version of SSI Statistical Bulletin
sssssssss

6. Results 2 Prescription Number (x1000) Invoice Cost (x1000 TL)
Mean Cost
IC/PN (TL)
2008
43.14
2009
48.95
2010
48.61
2011
(first 5 months)
44.01
Table 2: The number of prescription taken from Pharmacy Provision System and invoice costs
Ref: SSI Monthly Statistical Bulletin; Publication No:13
P.S.: Data are expanded than the abstract because of the new version of SSI Statistical Bulletin

7. Units Year/10 (Absolute)
Results 3
Units Year/10 (Absolute)
A0 ALIMENTARY T.& METABOLISM
R0 RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
J0 SYSTEMIC ANTI-INFECTIVES
M0 MUSCULO-SKELETAL SYSTEM
N0 NERVOUS SYSTEM
C0 CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
D0 DERMATOLOGICALS
B0 BLOOD + B.FORMING ORGANS
G0 G.U.SYSTEM & SEX HORMONES
S0 SENSORY ORGANS
V0 VARIOUS
H0 SYSTEMIC HORMONES
T0 DIAGNOSTIC AGENTS
K0 HOSPITAL SOLUTIONS
L0 ANTINEOPLAST+IMMUNOMODUL
P0 PARASITOLOGY
Table 3: Drug Units in 2010 acording to ATC code
Ref: IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics

8. Results 4 Table 4: Drug costs in 2010 acording to ATC code
TL Year/10 (Absolute)
J0 SYSTEMIC ANTI-INFECTIVES
A0 ALIMENTARY T.& METABOLISM
C0 CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
R0 RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
N0 NERVOUS SYSTEM
L0 ANTINEOPLAST+IMMUNOMODUL
M0 MUSCULO-SKELETAL SYSTEM
G0 G.U.SYSTEM & SEX HORMONES
B0 BLOOD + B.FORMING ORGANS
D0 DERMATOLOGICALS
V0 VARIOUS
S0 SENSORY ORGANS
T0 DIAGNOSTIC AGENTS
H0 SYSTEMIC HORMONES
K0 HOSPITAL SOLUTIONS
P0 PARASITOLOGY
Table 4: Drug costs in 2010 acording to ATC code
Ref: IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics

9. Policy Implications & Conclutions
Among the main purposes of the Rational Drug Use Department; generalizing the principles of rational drug use all over the Turkey and performing campaigns with this aim can be stressed. In order to make suggestions to Social Security Institution (SSI) about the issues of; considering the principles of rational drug use while devoloping the repayment (reimbursement) plans, obtaining the education of the health staff on principles of rational drug use, evaluating the prescriptions according to principles of rational drug use, coordinating the publishment of the national guidelines for diagnosis and treatment and drug guideline periodically and measuring the awareness level of society and health staff about rational drug use. The expectation is, the rational drug use policy will reduce the total drug cost and increase the awareness of society and health staff about rational drug use.