Understanding conflicts of interest in rational drug prescription in a developing country: A stakeholder analysis, healthcare guidelines and ethical public health issues

Description

Background. Rational drug prescription (RDP) is one of the main rity Organization as one of the main health insurance organizacomponents of the healthcare systems. Irrational prescribing can tions, pharmaceutical companies, and the Medical Council of bring about numerous negative consequences for the patients and the Islamic Republic of Iran, are among agencies that have great governmental agencies. This study aims to analyze the involve-authority to improve rational prescribing, they fail to act profesment of stakeholders in rational drug prescribing, their position sionally as they have conflicting interests. Remarkably, the Iran (opponent or proponent), and the rationale behind it. Food and Drug Administration, insurance organizations, family Methods. This was a qualitative study conducted in 2019. physicians, and patients, highly support the rational prescribing Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 40 policy while the pharmaceutical companies display the least sup-stakeholders. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques with port for it. maximum heterogeneity were adopted to select the interview-Conclusions. To make the prescription and using drugs more ees. Data was analyzed by MAXQDA software using thematic rational, policy makers should focus on different sources of con-approach. flicts of interest that different actors have. They should devise Results. Iranian Food and Drug Administration employs the legal, behavior and financial policies accordingly to lessen or at highest authority on the rational prescribing policy. Although least neutralize these conflicting interests, otherwise achieving the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the Social SecuRDP would be impossible in short and long terms.

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