Attitudes and behaviors of dentists regarding rational drug use

Aims: Medicines, which have an important place in health services, are the greatest weapon of societies in preventing and combating diseases. If medicines are not used properly, they may not provide the expected effect and may lead to recurrence of some diseases, development of resistance or some side effects. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the number, variety and utilization rates of medicines. This situation has necessitated more rational behavior in the use of medicines, especially by healthcare professionals. Rational drug use can be briefly defined as the administration of appropriate medication in the light of anamnesis and clinical symptoms. Education on rational drug use remains as current in the dental profession as it is in the medical world. In order to determine the extent to which dentists meet the expectations regarding rational drug use and to eliminate possible problems, it is first necessary to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors on the subject. In this study, it was aimed at comparing and evaluating the attitudes and behaviors of dentists towards rational drug use. Methods: Our study, which was approved by the ethics committee, was conducted with the participation of 399 volunteer dentists actively working in public hospitals and the private sector in different provinces of our country. The data for the study were obtained through an online questionnaire consisting of 15 questions. The IBM SPSS 25.0 package program was used for data analysis of the survey results. A frequency distribution table was created for general characteristics. A chi-square test was used to compare the relationship between categorical variables. Results: It was determined that 50.6% of the participants received rational drug use training, 91.5% utilized different sources of information while prescribing, 73.4% did not prescribe drugs requested by patients, and 43.6% did not find the information given to patients about drugs sufficient. When the reasons for this were questioned, lack of information and lack of time were mostly cited. It was found that the level of knowledge of the participants about drugs was mostly focused on indications, route of administration, special conditions, and contraindications. When prescribing medications, the participants generally questioned whether the patients had chronic diseases, drug allergies, and other medications. It was observed that dentists mostly provided information about the duration of treatment, daily dosage, and method of administration regarding the drugs they prescribed. Conclusion: The basis of irrational drug use in dentistry lies in a lack of knowledge and education. In order to obtain the expected benefit from drugs, we believe that, in addition to instilling awareness of rational drug use in society, the attitudes and behaviors gained, especially by physicians through undergraduate education and in-service training after graduation, should be supported by health policies.