Search

The relevance of the research is determined by the total dependence of the level of health of the population on the availability of medicines. The problem of consumer culture is among the problems of drug circulation, because the health of the nation directly depends on it. The state-economic program for providing the population with necessary products from the pharmaceutical industry is also related to the issues of health maintenance culture. The purpose of the research is to determine the population’s attitude towards the consumption of medicines as an indicator of health conservation. The study is based on the use of a questionnaire survey method. The main questions were the peculiarities of the respondents’ attitude towards taking medications, the question of medical prescription of drugs, the importance of drug prices for the population, the influence of advertising on drug consumption, etc. According to the survey results, it has been proven that the quality of life of the vast majority of people directly depends on the use of drugs. The culture of the population regarding the consumption of drugs is quite high, as evidenced by the information about studying theinstructions before taking the drug by the majority of respondents, a reasonable attitude towards advertising drugs in the media, and an optimal level of trust in the quality of pharmacy products. An important issue in the culture of health conservation remains the provision of people with chronic diseases with drugs for daily use, which should not be completely dependent on imports from other countries, as well as a pricing policy that allows patients to purchase the necessary medicine. Maintaining a high level of culture of drug consumption should be ensured by the state, which implements a reasonable social policy and effective control over meeting people's needs for resources to maintain the health of the nation.

Abstract Background Uganda imports approximately 90% of its medicines, with about 60% being distributed by the private sector. To discourage importation and promote local production of 37 selected locally manufactured medicines, the Ugandan government through the Ministry of Health in 2017 increased the import verification fees from 2 to 12%. The increase in verification fees ultimately affects cost and availability of these medicines. This study aimed to assess the cost and availability of the selected essential medicines after the 12% increase in verification fees in Uganda. Methods A cross sectional study among 328 wholesale and retail pharmacies and seven key informant interviews was conducted using a pretested data collection checklist and in-depth interview guide from February to September 2021 in Uganda. Data on the availability and prices of the medicines before (2017) and after (2020) the increase in verification fees was collected. Paired sample T-Test was used to test if there is a significant difference in prices before and after the 12% increase in verification fees. Results Mean availability of imported medicines was higher (54.8%, CI: 49.3–60.4) than the locally produced medicines (37.1%, CI: 31.9–42.7) except for locally manufactured parenteral preparations (54.6.%, CI: 49.1–60.1). Availability of locally produced medicines was mainly low (45%) while the imported medicines were fairly high (74%). Most commonly available locally manufactured medicines were Surgical spirit (89.9%), ORS (86%), Dextrose 5% solution (74.4%), Paracetamol 500 mg Tablets (73.8%) and Sodium Chloride 0.9% solution (72.9%). Most commonly available imported medicines were; Omeprazole 20 mg (94.2%), Amoxicillin Trihydrate 125 mg/5 ml (92.4%), Ciprofloxacin 500 mg (91.4%), Paracetamol Suspension 120 mg/5 ml (91.5%) and Metronidazole 200 mg Tablets (88.1%). Increase in lowest-priced local and imported medicines was significant for 10 (23.8%) and 7 (15.9%) of the medicines respectively. The median prices of imported medicines were generally higher than locally produced medicines. The median unit prices of 12 (28.6%) locally produced medicines and 20 (47.6%) imported medicines were higher than the international median unit prices. Conclusions The overall availability of imported medicines was still higher than the local medicines. The median prices of local and imported medicines generally increased or remained the same after the introduction of import verification fees. There is a need for price controls and transparency in the private sector.

Subject. Increasing the availability of modern effective and safe medicines is one of the key objectives for the development of regional health systems in pursuit of the goals of the national Healthcare project. As a complex process, the modernisation of the pharmaceutical provision system is an important issue for the economy, the state, and society. The availability of medicines for cardiovascular diseases has a special place among the issues of reforming the system of pharmaceutical provision for citizens. The high prevalence of cardiovascular disease among people causes a negative economic impact and a significant cost to public healthcare systems around the world. The cause of this economic loss is the cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity rate in the working-age population, which results in a substantial loss of human capital. Objectives. The aim of the study was to analyse and assess the assortment, financial, and logistical availability of medicines for cardiovascular diseases at all levels of medical care in the context of the development of the regional healthcare system, based on materials from the Sverdlovsk Region for 2011-2019. Methodology. The study was based on data from the Monitoring of Assortment and Prices for Vital and Essential Drugs (VED) in the Sverdlovsk Region for the period of 2011-2019. A comparative and structural analysis of the availability of medicines for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases was carried out using the WHO and Health Action International (WHO/HAI) methodology. It was based on the calculation of the median ratios of local prices to international reference prices of medicines for groups of domestic and foreign drugs, original brands, and generics. We also considered price groups for the outpatient and inpatient market segments. Conclusions. A study of the availability of medicines for cardiovascular diseases in the Sverdlovsk Region revealed that medicines at the outpatient level are provided predominantly for socially disadvantaged groups at the expense of public funds. At the inpatient level, the medicines are funded by the Territorial Fund of Compulsory Medical Insurance, the range of medicines provided is limited to the VED list. The list of medicines for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases for the inpatient and outpatient levels of medical care has virtually no continuity, which reduces the overall level of availability of medicines. To improve the quality of pharmaceutical provision for the development of the regional healthcare system, additional research on price dynamics and pharmacoeconomic analysis is required. It should consider the trends in the Russian pharmaceutical market.

To evaluate the access to comprehensive diagnostics and novel antituberculosis medicines in European countries. We investigated the access to genotypic and phenotypic Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing and the availability of antituberculosis drugs and calculated the cost of drugs and treatment regimens at major tuberculosis treatment centres in countries of the WHO European region where rates of drug-resistant tuberculosis are the highest among all WHO regions. Results were stratified by middle-income and high-income countries. Overall, 43 treatment centres from 43 countries participated in the study. For WHO group A drugs, the frequency of countries with the availability of phenotypic drug susceptibility testing was as follows: (a) 75% (30/40) for levofloxacin, (b) 82% (33/40) for moxifloxacin, (c) 48% (19/40) for bedaquiline, and (d) 72% (29/40) for linezolid. Overall, of the 43 countries, 36 (84%) and 24 (56%) countries had access to bedaquiline and delamanid, respectively, whereas only 6 (14%) countries had access to rifapentine. The treatment of patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis with a regimen including a carbapenem was available only in 17 (40%) of the 43 countries. The median cost of regimens for drug-susceptible tuberculosis, multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (shorter regimen, including bedaquiline for 6 months), and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (including bedaquiline, delamanid, and a carbapenem) were €44 (minimum–maximum, €15–152), €764 (minimum–maximum, €542–15152), and €8709 (minimum–maximum, €7965–11759) in middle-income countries (n = 12) and €280 (minimum–maximum, €78–1084), €29765 (minimum–maximum, €11116–40584), and €217591 (minimum–maximum, €82827–320146) in high-income countries (n = 29), respectively. In countries of the WHO European region, there is a widespread lack of drug susceptibility testing capacity to new and repurposed antituberculosis drugs, lack of access to essential medications in several countries, and a high cost for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of patients with mental disorders is growing every year, which has a significant impact on the increase in cases of disability and loss of one of the five years of healthy life. In Ukraine, the incidence of depressive disorders and disorders caused by alcohol consumption exceeds that of Eastern Europe. The COVID-2019 global pandemic has affected the rapid spread of new cases of depressive disorders (53.2 million or 27.6%) and anxiety disorders (76.2 million or 25.6%) in 2020. These trends in Ukraine and the world have led to changes in the formation and implementation of the National Mental Health Policy, as most disorders are successfully treated with access to medicine and availability of medicines for patients. The aim of the work was to assess the current state of morbidity and prevalence of mental disorders in Ukraine and the world, as well as to analyse the access of medicines for patients according to current government programs. The objectі of the study were the data of the Center for Mental Health and Monitoring of Drugs and Alcohol of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, regulations documents, analytical reports, international websites. The study used methods of analysis, systematization, generalization, analytical and graphical. The study found an annual increase in outpatient mental health care and a sharp decline in inpatient and day care. Depressive disorders show a growth trend of 6.25% in Ukraine for the period 2018–2020, for comparison – only in 2020 in the world such growth was 27.6%. Analysis of medical practice shows that most mental disorders are not diagnosed as special cases, and are treated as concomitant diseases, which significantly affects the incidence and prevalence and as a consequence of the formation of government programs to provide patients with vital medicines in outpatient treatment. The provision of drugs to patients on an outpatient basis today occurs according to the list of diseases defined by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1303. Since October 1, the program of reimbursement of medicine for 9 INN has been expanded, which allowed patients with mental disorders to receive medicines free of charge or with a surcharge, without reference to their location. The study revealed negative trends in the incidence and prevalence of mental disorders in Ukraine as a whole and in regions compared to similar indicators in the world, as well as identify key issues affecting the formation of government programs to provide patients with basic medicines.

The article is focused on studying and explaining the legal nature and content of public interests from point of view оf the patent protection system in the context of globalization processes. The problems of the influence of patent rights on the possibility of individuals to realize their rights in the health care sector are identified. The concepts of private and public interests, their ratio, content featurs in patent law are analyzed. The defining value of interest is fixed at the normative level in civil law, where intellectual property law is its sub-branch. In general, private interest can be both property and non-property. In this context, the provisions of national and international legislation of the necessity оf balance the interests of society and patent holders are analyzed; on restricting the rights of patent owners with the aim to ensure the public interest; about necessity in certain cases to break the monopoly of patent owners through compulsory licensing, etc. The tendency to strengthen the protection of public interests has been revealed. Attention is paid to the issue of distinguishing between the private interests of patent holders and the interests of society. It is clarified why these interests collide and what rules justify such conflicts. The conclusion that necessity to ensure a balance between private and public interests is substantiated as the urgent task of modern legislation in the legal regulation of patent relations. One of the legal ways to achieve a balance between the interests of society and patent holders is a compulsory license. The institution of compulsory licensing fully corresponds to the peculiarities of patent legal relations and does not deprive the patent owner of the protection of his exclusive right. But it does not prevent the latter to independently use and effectively commercialize the relevant technical solution. Compulsory license is possible to apply precisely in those cases when the harm to the public interest from the exercise of the exclusive patent right exceeds the benefits received by the right holder. The authors have determined the direction of the development of legal regulation of patent relations in this area taking into account the requirements of international treaties.

Objectives To describe the availability of medicines and World Health Organization (WHO)/International Network of Rational Use of Drugs (INRUD) core drug use indicators in a nationally representative sample of outpatient department (OPD) pharmacies in government hospitals of Sri Lanka. Methods This descriptive-cross-sectional national survey was conducted in OPD pharmacies in government hospitals, representing all 25 districts of Sri Lanka. WHO/INRUD core prescribing indicators were evaluated, together with the identification of the most commonly prescribed medications. To measure the availability of medicines, a list of 103 medicines from the WHO Global Core List (GCL), WHO/South East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) Regional Core List (RCL) and a national 'Supplementary List' were surveyed. Key findings A total of 3055 prescriptions were evaluated. There were 88 different medications prescribed with the commonest being paracetamol (n = 578; 18.9%). The average number of medicines per encounter was 3.3 ± 1.4 (range 1–10). Overall, the percentage of encounters with an antibiotic was 43.4% (n = 1327). There were 178 prescriptions where more than one antibiotic (5.8%) has been prescribed. Overall, the percentage of encounters with an injection was only 0.5% (n = 14). The percentage of medicines prescribed by generic name and from the essential medicine list (EML) was 84.3% and 98.9%, respectively. The average availability of medicines overall was 71.8% (range 0–100%). On average, medicines from the WHO/Health Action International GCL, WHO-SEARO RCL and national supplementary list were available in 69.8%, 75.8% and 71.3% of hospital OPD pharmacies, respectively. Conclusions The major contributors to irrational prescribing and inappropriate use of medicines in this setting were polypharmacy and prescription of antibiotics. Prescribing by generic name, use of injectable preparations and use of medicines from the EML conformed to the WHO-recommended optimal levels to a great extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The aim of our study was to continue a comparative analysis of availability and access to cardiovascular medicines in 2017 and 2018 in the city of Kazan according to the original WHO/HAI methodology to assess the effectiveness of government interventions to ensure access to medicines.Material and methods. We performed a comparative analysis of prices of cardiovascular medicines in 2017 and 2018 in Kazan using the World Health Organization and Health Action International (WHO/HAI) methodology, to assess medicines' availability and affordability to ensure their rational use. We studied availability and prices of 71 cardiovascular medicines in public and private pharmacies in the city of Kazan and analyzed procurement prices of these medicines in hospitals. Also we studied the affordability of medicines, as well as performed pharmacoeconomic cost-minimization analysis for arterial hypertension pharmacotherapy in 2018. For each name, we studied the prices for the original brand and its lowest-priced generic. We compared medicine prices with international reference, delivered by the Management Sciences for Health and by expressing them as median price ratio (MPR).Results. In the public sector, prices of generic medicines were at the level of reference prices with the indicators of MPR 1.14 [0.41-1.84] and 1.17 [0.49-2.21], in 2017 and 2018 respectively. In the private sector, prices of generics reduced 2 times in 2018 compared to 2017, with the decrease in MPR from 2.22 [1.12-3.91] to 1.25 [0.44-2.32], (p0.05). In 2018, depending on the choice of the medicine the annual course of therapy of hypertension varied from 149 to 28835 rubles.Conclusions. In 2018, the prices of generic cardiovascular medicines, but not of originator brands, reached the level of reference prices in both the public and private sectors of Kazan. According to the WHO/HAI methodology, generic cardiovascular medicines became affordable. In the private sector, there was a reduction in the prices of generic medicines, but not of originator brands, with an improvement of affordability of generics in 2018 compared to 2017.

The purpose of the research – to study the basic development directions of the legislation of Ukraine in the field of health care, to identify problems of reformation of the above legislation, to outline ways of their solution. Materials and methods. Regulatory framework of Ukraine, method of analysis, method of synthesis, comparative-legal method, structural-system method. Results. The main tendencies of the current reform of the legislation in the field of health care are the following directions of its development: change of the concept of financing of health care institutions, the digitization of the health care sphere, improvement of the system of transplantation of anatomical materials to a person, change of requirements to the professional competencies of executives of health care institutions. increase public health impact, increase access to medicines and blood components for patients, increase anti-corruption requirements for healthcare facilities. In addition, there is an attempt to introduce self-government. Conclusions. In spite of the positive tendencies in the overall reform of the health care legislation, there are some problems with its transformation, which need urgent resolution at the legislative level. Thus, when reforming the financial legislation in the field of health care, it is necessary to remember the norms of the Constitution of Ukraine, which say that the current network of health care institutions cannot be reduced. In addition, it is necessary to develop a package of amendments to the legislation, which should clearly regulate the implementation of medical and diagnostic work of scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers of institutions of higher (postgraduate) medical education and medical research institutions in the conditions of modern healthcare transformation, because such work is a prerequisite for ensuring educational and scientific processes. There is also a need to expand the introduction of health digitization, including for the purpose of fixing acts of will, which is very relevant in the context of providing informed consent to medical intervention by a patient or his legal representative. In addition, we believe that in the current conditions of development of medical education, the granting of access to the medical professions based on the decisions of medical self-government bodies is inappropriate.

Aim. To perform a comparative analysis of cardiovascular medicine prices in 2011 and 2015 and to assess their availability and affordability as a basis for rational pharmacotherapy.Material and methods. We conducted a comparative analysis of prices for cardiovascular medicines in 2011 and 201 5 in Kazan using the World Health Organization and Health Action International (WHO/HAI) methodology, to assess medicines' availability and affordability to ensure their rational use. We studied availability and prices of 71 cardiovascular medicines in public and private pharmacies of the city of Kazan and analyzed procurement prices of these medicines in hospitals. Also we performed pharmacoeconomic cost-minimisation analysis for arterial hypertension pharmacotherapy in 2015. For each medicine, we analyzed the prices for the original brand drug and its lowest-priced generic. We compared medicine prices with international reference prices of 201 0 and 201 5, delivered by the Management Sciences for Health, by expressing them as median price ratio. Recording and analysis were performed using the standardized MS Excel WHO/HAI Workbook.Results. The prices of generic medicines, both in the public and private sectors, decreased relative to reference prices in 2015 compared to 2011. In 201 1 one third of the medicines were purchased as original brands and in 201 5 almost all medicines were procured as generics with a fourfold decrease in prices. In 201 5, depending on the choice of the medicine the annual course of monotherapy of hypertension varied from 208 to 281 05 rubles.Conclusion. Over the five years from 2011 to 2015, there was a general trend of price reduction for generic products relative to reference prices for cardiovascular medicines. But in order to provide rational pharmacotherapy, additional price studies and pharmacoeconomic analyzes are needed, taking into account the changing prices on the pharmaceutical market.

Aim. To evaluate the availability and affordability of medicines used to treat of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in several regions of the Russian Federation with different climatic, geographic, economic and demographic characteristics. Material and methods. The study was conducted in 6 regional capitals, chosen to differ in geographically, economically, and demographically. In each city, 5 pharmacies providing free medicines to certain categories of citizens (beneficiaries) and 5 private pharmacies serving anyone were selected at random. Medicine availability was assessed in all pharmacies, along with price only in the private pharmacies. Data were obtained for both original drug and appropriate generics. A list of 25 of the most frequently prescribed medicines for cardiovascular diseases was compiled. Results. Some general findings emerged. With the existence of a generic drug, the original drug was not available in the pharmacy supplying beneficiaries. Diuretics, as well as some ACE inhibitors, are not available in a number of pharmacies for beneficiaries. Enalapril in most licensed pharmacies is represented by generics, lisinopril in a number of cities is represented by both the original drug and generics. The presence of sartans was much lower than ACE inhibitors. Bisoprolol was most common beta-blocker. Calcium antagonists: if amlodipine was present in all licensed pharmacies, at list as generic, then nifedipine was not available in many licensed pharmacies. Among antiplatelet agents, aspirin was available in most pharmacies, and clopidogrel was mostly represented by generics. As for statins, only simvastatin could be found in almost all pharmacies. When analyzing the cost of drugs in licensed pharmacies, it was found that drugs containing furosemide are the cheapest among generics – about 17 rubles. The most expensive treatment with generics of rosuvastatin – about 4,374 rubles a month. The most expensive original medicine was also rosuvastatin – about 4,500 rubles for 30 tablets, the cheapest – the original drug of furosemide – about 35 rubles. On average, the cost of CVD treatment with major classes of drugs, including ACE inhibitor, beta-blocker, antiplatelet drug and statin, is 1,921.9 rubles per month. Conclusion. The basic cardiovascular medicines were characterized by a relatively high availability in 6 regions of the Russian Federation included in the analysis both by the criterion of the availability of drugs and by the criterion of the minimum price.

The article reveals the features and legal grounds for the application of the mechanism of restriction of patent rights through compulsory licensing of inventions. The analysis of the legislation on the regulation of these relations is carried out. The EU experience in the use of compulsory licensing is analyzed and prospects for Ukraine are considered. Theoretical positions on the subject of research are analyzed. It is substantiated that in emergency situations the state should defend the public interests to the detriment of the interests of the patent owner and may apply a compulsory license. Compulsory licensing is a common practice and an important legal institution. The conditions and features of granting a compulsory license for objects of patent law in accordance with the provisions of Ukrainian legislation are revealed. The terms of the compulsory license are not based on the mutual consent of the licensor and the licensee but are determined by the competent state body. The correlation of the Ukrainian legislation with the international obligations of Ukraine is investigated. Analysis of foreign sources shows that compulsory licensing is one of the effective mechanisms for reaching a compromise between the public interests and the patent owner. The paper confirms the expediency of shifting the balance of interests from the patent owner to society in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for improving Ukrainian legislation are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJETIVO. Analizar la disponibilidad de medicamentos en las farmacias hospitalarias, el surtimiento de prescripciones a pacientes egresados y el gasto de bolsillo en medicamentos de pacientes hospitalizados. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS. Análisis descriptivo de la Encuesta Nacional de Satisfacción y Trato Adecuado (ENSATA) de 2009 con una muestra representativa de hospitales públicos sobre disponibilidad de una lista de 83 medicamentos en el momento de la visita a la farmacia, la proporción del surtimiento de recetas a pacientes en el momento de su alta y su gasto de bolsillo durante su estancia hospitalaria. RESULTADOS. En total se entrevistó a 26 271 pacientes egresados de los 160 hospitales públicos visitados. La disponibilidad de medicamentos en el ámbito nacional fue de 82%. Los hospitales de los Servicios Estatales de Salud (SESA) mostraron una disponibilidad de 77% (variación de 30 a 96%). El surtimiento completo de recetas fue de 97% en las instituciones de seguridad social, cifra que contrasta con 56.2% de los hospitales de los SESA, que además presentaron una gran varianza entre estados (13 a 94%) La mediana del gasto de pacientes hospitalizados fue de 150 pesos moneda nacional (1% gastó más de 10 000 pesos. CONCLUSIONES. La falta de los medicamentos en los hospitales tiene un impacto económico en el gasto de los hogares, particularmente en aquellos que cuentan con pocos recursos, y puede aumentar la morbilidad o mortalidad de los pacientes hospitalizados en las instituciones públicas.OBJECTIVE. To analyze the availability of drugs in public hospitals, the prescription-filling patterns for in-patients when they are discharged and their out-of-pocket expenditure during their hospitalization. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Using the National Satisfaction and Responsiveness Survey (ENSATA) 2009, which includes a representative sample of public hospitals in Mexico in 2009, the availability of 83 essential medicines in the hospital pharmacies at the day of visit, the proportion of prescriptions completely filled for patients when they are discharged and their out-of-pocket expenditure during their hospitalization were analyzed. RESULTS. A total of 26 271 patients in 160 public hospitals were interviewed. The mean availability of drugs was 82% for all hospitals, with the lowest availability for the Ministry of Health (SESA) hospitals (77%, with a range of 30 to 96%). Patients discharged at social security hospitals received in 97% of cases a complete prescription filling, while in SESA hospitals the average was only 56.2%, with a large variance among states (13 to 94%). The median inpatient spending was 150 pesos in national currency (1% spent over 10 000 pesos). CONCLUSIONS. The lack of medicines in public hospitals may increase in-patient morbidity and mortality and has an economic impact on household spending, particularly in those with scarce resources.

Objective. To analyze the availability of drugs in public hospitals, the prescription-filling patterns for in-patients when they are discharged and their out-of-pocket expenditure during their hospitalization. Material and Methods. Using the National Satisfaction and Responsiveness Survey (ENSATA) 2009, which includes a representative sample of public hospitals in Mexico in 2009, the availability of 83 essential medicines in the hospital pharmacies at the day of visit, the proportion of prescriptions completely filled for patients when they are discharged and their out-of-pocket expenditure during their hospitalization were analyzed. Results. A total of 26 271 patients in 160 public hospitals were interviewed. The mean availability of drugs was 82% for all hospitals, with the lowest availability for the Ministry of Health (SESA) hospitals (77%, with a range of 30 to 96%). Patients discharged at social security hospitals received in 97% of cases a complete prescription filling, while in SESA hospitals the average was only 56.2%, with a large variance among states (13 to 94%). The median inpatient spending was 150 pesos in national currency (1% spent over 10 000 pesos). Conclusions. The lack of medicines in public hospitals may increase in-patient morbidity and mortality and has an economic impact on household spending, particularly in those with scarce resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to essential medicines is fundamental to medication adherence, continuity of care and hence population health outcomes and overall quality of life. Disparities in the availability and the cost of these medications in New York City, especially for low income neighborhoods, would compound the underlying health disparities in these neighborhoods. This study examined the physical and financial accessibility to 8 of the 150 Most Frequently Prescribed Drugs in New York, 2 each for Asthma, Diabetes, Hypertension, and Hyperlipidemia, 4 conditions that are among the top 10 most costly conditions in the United States. The study did not find any significant differences in mean drug prices between the high, medium, and low income neighborhoods in the City. However, the significantly different income levels and uninsured rates across neighborhood income strata in the City (p

The article is devoted to the research in possibility of rational use of antihistamines among elderly people taking into account Beers criteria and STOPP/START criteria which can prevent irrational use of medicines by senior consumers. Antihistamines that are not recommended for elderly people treatment were identified. Economic accessibility of antihistamines allowed for use among people aged 65 and over was evaluated.