Abstract

JIMENEZ HERRERA, Luis Guillermo. Allopathic medication use in Costa Rica (2006). Rev. costarric. salud pública [online]. 2008, vol.17, n.32, pp.35-44. ISSN 1409-1429.

Allopathic medicine constitutes a resource that people use to treat the particular conditions that affect their health-disease state. Therefore, proper use and management must be assured. This study describes the situation of medicine consumption in Costa Rica according to the presence of various diseases, socioeconomic and geographic factors of population, and the patient self reports of satisfaction-happiness. The data were obtained from the first National Survey of Health in Costa Rica, carried out in 2006, which allows inference towards the national level. The variables were codified considering the medicine consumption for acute and chronic disease as well as for other uses. The main results were: self medication is present as a population practice, medicine for acute conditions was prevalent, but once disease is present, chronic medicine consumption is greater, women consume all types of medicines in greater proportion than men, the medicines for acute conditions appear in early ages and the ones for chronic conditions are delayed, the main supplier is the Social Security System and there are differences in consumption in relation to income, geographic zone and perception of satisfaction and happiness. Elements were obtained that help characterize the medicine consumption in Costa Rica; nevertheless, further research is required on the matter which could provide evidence for decision making.

Keywords : consumption; medicines; allopathic medicine; Costa Rica; evidence based medicine.

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