Core of the Family Health Strategy and of the Family Health Support in the rational use of drugs in Rio Fortuna, Santa Catarina

Abstract

Pharmaceutical attention has been the focus of major concern, especially regarding the correct use of medicine, self-medication, intoxication, drug interactions, and adverse effects, which are harmful to the population. This paper had as its general purpose to evaluate the rational use of medicine together with the population of family health teams from the municipality of Rio Fortuna, in Santa Catarina State. The specific purposes were: to inform people about the issue of using and abusing of drugs; to evaluate the acceptability of the debate on the topic; to identify the risk of polypharmacy and household abuse or drug poisoning as well as to serve as a permanent education for health industry workers; and to collect stranded medicines. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional and quanti-qualitatively study, with data collected in a household survey carried out by community health agents, in addition to the achievement of permanent education methodology in health through lectures and guidelines of the rational use of medicines applied both to health staff and the population. 1,054 households were carried out, and 185 families were identified with risks as to the presence of domiciliary polypharmacy. The average consumption of medicine in the general population was from two to three tablets/resident/day, while in families in which there were polypharmacies, consumption, it rose from nine to ten pills per resident per day. Thirteen educational lectures were held; at the end, an assessment questionnaire was applied on the importance of this paper, in which 98% of the participants thought important their attainment, 94% expressed that they felt more informed regarding the rational use of medicines, and 50% had already practiced self-medication. Through this study, the real perception of the need that the population has of drug treatment can be seen, often without professional guidance, limited knowledge of risks of self-medication, and dangers of medicine interaction. In addition, it could be seen that acting in multiprofessional health is essential for the constant improvement of health care and understanding that permanent education of both health professionals, the population and the sector management may promote great changes in the assistive paradigm.