HRT interview

International workshop about the rational drug use is being held over the next few days in Zagreb.

The funding has been secured by the British Council and this meeting helped bring together 12 eminent clinical pharmacologists from the UK with their Croatian colleagues. They have jointly discussed almost the same problems ahead of the CPT in both countries.

Igor Francetic: On one hand, pharmaceutical industry mostly views us as someone standing in way of an increase in use of their products. On the other hand, prescribers think we are disturbing their already well established prescribing patterns as they believe that they have sufficient knowledge on the drugs that they use to treat patients.

Other participants stressed that the patients usually do not receive the most effective treatments, but instead the ones most commonly prescribed. Experiences were exchanged on how best to educate the current and also the prospective drug prescribers. Moreover, other issues pertinent to the rational pharmacotherapy have been discussed.

Simon Maxwell: The government also has an important role in establishing conditions for the rational drug use as well as securing sufficient funding for the Croatian physicians and CPT specialists as they should usher in the required changes.

Croatian pharmaceutical sector is currently characterised by the state insurer's yearly deficit of crc 50 million GBP. Rational use of drugs is the most appropriate approach to tackling of this problem and participants of this meeting are at the vanguard of those who should show us the way towards change.

Category:

Education

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• CPT