Inefficient and irrational use of medicines is a well-documented problem in both developed and developing countries. It leads to cost increases and adverse clinical effects for patients. The inappropriate use of medicine can be reduced if health care professionals involved in the different aspects of medicine use promote good practices for medicine management and use. An appropriate forum for the development and implementation of medicine policies is the Drug and Therapeutics Committee (DTC).
In Mozambique, the establishment of hospital DTCs was officially requested by the Ministério da Saúde (MISAU) (Ministry of Health) in the document The Departamento de Farmacia Hospitalar (DFH) (Department of Hospital Pharmacy) in the Direcção Nacional de Assistência Médica (National Directorate of Medical Assistance) of MISAU also took on the establishment of hospital DTCs as a priority intervention to improve the appropriate use of medicines at the hospital level. SIAPS has provided technical assistance to assist hospitals in establishing DTCs to improve medicine use, and in the collection and analysis of medicine use information for decision making as part of its support to counterparts in the pharmaceutical sector.
