[Why rational drug use must be a priority?]. / Por que o uso racional de medicamentos deve ser uma prioridade?

According to the World Health Organization, rational drug use means that patients receive medicines appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their individual requirements, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest cost to them and their community. However, as far as one can see, the reality is very different. In Brazil, at least, 35% of medicines are purchased for self-medication. Medicaments are responsible for 27% of intoxications in Brazil and for 16% of deaths due to poisoning are caused by medicaments. Moreover, 50% of medicaments are prescribed, dispensed or used inappropriately and hospitals spend about 15 to 20% of their budgets to deal with the troubles caused by misuse of medicaments. The promise of immediate relief of suffering is a very attractive appeal, but it has its price. Sometimes the price we pay is our health. Rational drug use requires a very complex logical chain involving a number of variables and participation of different social actors including patients, health professionals, legislators, policy makers, industry, commerce and the government.

[Self-medication and health academic staff]. / A automedicação e os acadêmicos da área de saúde.

As self-medication is a worldwide problem of public health, this article had as objective to evaluate the behavior of the future health professionals with regard to the drug utilization, particularly, to the self-medication practice. 223 academic students from a public university in Recife City were interviewed, selected by proportional share in each course. A questionnaire on the drug utilization was applied, 15 days before the interview. From the 223 students, 65.5% reported drug use in the last 15 days. 42.3% used drugs through the physician's prescription and 57.7% through the self-medication. The most used drugs were the analgesics (24.0%) and vitamins (18.9%) and the main reason was pain (30.5%). The drug utilization among academic students in Recife City is high but it is inside the parameter according to others analysis. However we have expected a low and more rationalized utilization.