Relevance of patient's knowledge, attitudes and beliefs in the rational use of Bio-Medical drugs: A case of Kayunga Town council, Kayunga District

Abstract

Irrational use of bio- medical drugs is a worldwide phenomenon which is occurring in both the developed and developing world. The common practices of irrational use of biomedical drugs include; multiple drugs on a prescription ( polypharmacy), overuse of anti biotics, mis-use and overuse of injections, overuse of relatively safe drugs, use of unnecessary expensive drugs (brand name visa avis generic name) and or self medication. Much as regulatory policies pertaining to the rational use of bio-medical drugs have been enacted, the practice of irrational use is still persistently on the increase. This study hence sought to understand how patients’ knowledge, attitude and beliefs influence the rational use of drugs. The study objectives were: to establish the factors determining the patient’s use of bio-medical drugs, to examine how the sources of bio-medical drugs influence the rational use of the medicine, to assess how patient’s knowledge affects the rational use of bio-medical drugs and to establish how attitudes and beliefs affect the rational use of bio-medical drugs.

To facilitate the study, the methods of investigation were by survey research using structural questionnaires and questionnaire guide for the key informants. The study was conducted in Kayunga Town Council Kayunga District where 94 respondents and 5 key informants who were medical personnel working in different health units were selected. The data was manually coded and then analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative data was presented as narratives and quotes while quantitative was analysed by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The core finds were that; patients seek the use of bio –medicine because it offers quick relief to ill health, irrational use of drugs is perpetuated by both the private and public healthcare providers, the health providers do not provide adequate information to enable the patients rationally use the medicine the patients do not entirely subscribe to the use of bio- medicine but use it concurrently with traditional medicine.

In conclusion, it would hence necessitate the collaboration of the heath seeker, health provider and the policy formulators to improve on the rational use of medicine. It was recommended that government considers increasing the, medical personnel in the rural public health facilities to reduce on the Doctor- patient ratio in addition to considering the adoption of the Assets model of Health provision.