The WHO estimates that more than 50% of all medicines are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately, and that 50% of all patients fail to take them correctly. The overuse, underuse or misuse of medicines—also known as irrational use of medicines—results in wastage of scarce resources, increased risk of adverse drug reactions, and widespread health hazards, … Read more
Archive STGs
SIAPS Publishes Manual on the Development and Implementation of Standard Treatment Guidelines
A new manual published by the USAID-funded Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program aims to guide health care professionals in the development and implementation of standard treatment guidelines (STGs). STGs are designed to assist health care professionals in making decisions about appropriate, effective patient care. However, health managers often have trouble … Read more
Assessment of Compliance of Outpatient Prescribing with the Namibia Standard Treatment Guidelines in Public Sector Health Facilities
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), in partnership with the Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Management Sciences for Health (MSH), conducted an assessment of compliance of prescribers with the Namibia Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG) and changes … Read more
Standardizing Clinical Practices in Swaziland
A common practice in a health system is to have standard treatment guidelines by which all health practitioners use to ensure rational use of medicines and methods. In Swaziland, however, several doctors and health workers apply a variety of approaches to managing common illnesses because they receive their training from different medical schools outside of … Read more
