Specific nature of medicines and value of medicines.

Medicines are not ordinary consumer or industrial goods but goods of a specific nature. The article provides an overview of the fundamental characteristics that distinguish medicines from common consumer goods. Another essential attribute of the term medicine is its values (clinical, economic, human), which form a crucial concept of the medicine category.

OPINIONS AND ATTITUDES OF CZECH CITIZENS ON SELECTED ISSUES OF DRUGS IN SOCIETY.

The social sciences within health care and pharmacy provide various points of view on issues often managed by professionals both inside and outside of the health care system. This multidisciplinary perspective often leads to divergent views and sometimes seemingly contradictory viewpoints and solutions. This paper is devoted to the opinions and attitudes of Czech citizens on selected issues of healthcare and pharmacy, the elucidation of which could be a source for understanding the relationships among participants in our pluralist health care system as a whole. This article presents the results of a sociological survey featuring a representative sample in terms of gender, age and region of 1,797 respondents from the Czech population aged 15 and over. The research is focused on the issues of self-medication, choice of pharmacy, out of pocket expenditures on prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines, experiences with side effects and finally an evaluation of patient comprehension of information leaflets accompanying health care products. According to the results presented here, at the onset of a health problem most of the population tries to treat the condition themselves before seeing a doctor (54.1% always, 30.9% sometimes). Over-the-counter drugs are purchased generally in classic pharmacies without self-service (96.1%). The choice of pharmacy is determined primarily by proximity, with much less importance placed on personal experience or lower price. According to the survey, Czechs spend around 150 CZK (€ 5.9) for over-the-counter medicines and around 143 CZK (€ 5.6) for prescription drugs per month; 77.9% of Czech citizens were shown to understand the information provided on package leaflets. These data help to understand the perception, orientation and behavior of the patient in the healthcare system, with the ultimate goal of leading to higher system effectiveness as well as greater satisfaction for all parties involved.

Applicability of EU(7)-PIM criteria in cross-national studies in European countries.

BACKGROUND: The European Union (EU)(7)-PIM (potentially inappropriate medication) list presents the most comprehensive and up-to-date tool for evaluation of PIM prescribing in Europe; however, several country-specific studies have documented lower specificity of this list on pharmaceutical markets of some countries. The aim of our study was to describe approval rates and marketing of PIMs stated by EU(7)-PIM criteria in six EU countries [in comparison with the American Geriatric Society (AGS) Beers 2015 criteria]. METHODS: Research teams of six EU countries (Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Serbia, Hungary and Turkey) participated in this study conducted by WG1b EU COST Action IS1402 group in the period October 2015-November 2018. Data on approval rates of PIMs and their availability on pharmaceutical markets have been obtained from databases of national drug-regulatory institutes and up-to-date drug compendia. The EU(7)-PIM list and AGS Beers 2015 Criteria (Section 1) were applied. RESULTS: PIMs from EU(7)-PIM list were approved for clinical use more often than those from the AGS Beers 2015 criteria (Section 1). Approval rates for EU(7)-PIMs ranged from 42.8% in Serbia to 71.4% in Spain (for AGS criteria only from 36.4% to 65.1%, respectively). Higher percentages of approved PIMs were documented in Spain (71.4%), Portugal (67.1%) and Turkey (67.5%), lower in Hungary (55.5%), Czech Republic (50.2%) and Serbia (42.8%). The majority of approved PIMs were also currently marketed in all countries except in Turkey (19.8-21.7% not marketed PIMs) and less than 20% of PIMs were available as over-the-counter medications (except in Turkey, 46.4-48.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The EU(7)-PIM list was created for utilization in European studies; however, applicability of this list is still limited in some countries, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe. The EU project EUROAGEISM H2020 (2017-2021) that focuses on PIM prescribing and regulatory measures in Central and Eastern European countries must consider these limits.