E-DRUG: Rational versus appropriate use of medicines (5)
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[Thank you Brian for the last word - the discussion is closed now. BS]
I think the debate boils down to semantics in the end. I prefer "rational" as it does imply an element of thinking (or non-thinking) in the process. Many prescribers and patients know what they should do but there are a many reasons why they do not do it. The expanded defitinition of rational use also uses the word "appropriate" in almost all contexts thus all of the bases are covered.
On a lighter note we in Oman have just changed our name from Directorate of Rational Drug Use to Directorate of Rational Use of Medicine. I would resist having to change again to Directorate of Appropriate use. More significantly we would lose our snappy acronym DRUM!
Dr Brian C Gunn
Section Head of Research
DRUM
MoH, Muscat
Sultanate of Oman
Brian Gunn <gunnbc@hotmail.com>