Management of Drugs and Health Product Related Problems in Communities via the Network of Home, Temple, School and Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To study the approach and its results on drug and health product related problems (DHPRP) in the community by the network of home, temple, school and hospital (HoTSH) and key success factors of promoting the network by public health agencies at all levels. Methods: This study was an action research investigating at the individual, family and community levels. Subjects were 249 patients with chronic illnesses and laborers selected by multi-stage sampling from those in the catchment area of ​​Ban Rong Ta Thi Sub-district Health Promoting Hospital. The subjects were from 249 households (1 person per 1 household). Trained public health volunteers were research assistants collecting the data on drug use knowledge and behaviors, availability of unsafe health products in households. District Public Health Officers and research assistants surveyed 6 prohibited health products in every grocery store (6 stores). Result: Efforts to resolve DHPRP in the community by the HATSH Network included the following actions: 1) education with media created by the community, 2) groceries surveillance, 3) Mr. Anti - Steroid project by visiting households to discourage use of steroids, 4) community surveillance for preventing the entering of dangerous products into the area, 5) selection of the grocery store model, 6) selection of Niwat Withi household, 7) establishing a collective agreement of the community, 8) establishing a complaint center 9) Integrating problem resolution with local cultural activities 10) providing knowledge by monk through sermon 11) creating a little masseuse and 12) implementation of approaches for resolving steroid problems. The efforts of the HoTSH significantly improved knowledge and behavior on drug consumption among subjects, reduced the prevalence of households with left-over antibiotics and health products contaminated with steroids, and significantly reduced the prevalence of groceries distributing antibiotics, dangerous drugs, Ya-chud, and health products with suspected steroid contamination. Key success factors in promoting the network of public health agencies at all levels were the analysis of DHPRP in the community, making everyone in the community aware of the importance of the problem and leading to consumer protection plan in line with the local context and needs. Conclusion: The network of HoTSH took advantage of local culture to provide knowledge, emphasize on surveillance, establish community collective agreements to resolve the DHPRP and provide alternatives to health problems for people in the community. These conditions led to a significant reduction of DHPRP in the community.