Present Status of Essential Medicines in Community Health Centers in A District of Shanghai

OBJECTIVE To study the present status of essential medicines application in community health centers. METHODS Quantitative and qualitative studies were carried out in a district of Shanghai to probe into the present status of essential medicine provision, priscription and rational use of essential medicine after the implementation of essential medicine policy. RESULTS With the policy implemented in community health centers, the total number of essential medicines in each medical facility increases while certain essential medicines were still in short supply. With the increase of essential medicine prescription proportion, the average medicine number in one prescription, antibiotics or two kinds of antibiotics use proportion, injection use proportion and average prescription expenditure all decrease. CONCLUSIONS The essential medicine policy and application in community health centers help to the rational use of essential medicine and relieve patients of economic burden to a certain extent.