ABSTRACT
In Morocco, development of generic drugs, which are copies of original drugs, is not as fast as expected since accession to prescribers, which is essential to the development of these drugs, is still not well established. This report is intended to describe constraints that are behind this reluctance to prescribe these innovative products in public hospitals on the Rabat / Salé Wilaya. The study is based on administrated questionnaires to 91 medical specialists. Collated data were supported by results from interviews with officials at the National Laboratory of Drug Control and the Department of Pharmacy, responsible of hospital pharmacies and medical representatives. Quantitative analysis has been carried out by SPSS [version: 17.0] and Excel software, Among the salient findings, the fact that 83% of physicians suspect the quality of generic drugs and 75% of them believe that the requirement for bioequivalence study is essential to prove their quality. 75% of participants felt that the generic present a higher potential risk following their administration and 82% attest of their therapeutic failure after use. Only 21% of the participants to the study are opting for generic drugs in their prescriptions with 80% of them not adhering to the strategy of the Ministry of Health by considering it as an infringement to their professional freedom. This study highlights the key elements to allow building the National drug policy in order to ensure rational use of medicines and increase the prevalence of generic drugs prescribing. The generic policy, beside the consumer role, is an integration of many parameters as well as the action of the various actors of the health sector. Achieving an equilibrated policy is to combine all these elements and actions responding to patient's needs without overlooking the interests of different parties
ABSTRACT
In Morocco, despite the importance of the subject, no studies concerning the magnitude of the problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics have been conducted nationally. In hospitals, the results of some studies have shown that the use of amoxicillin alone or in combination with clavulanic acid for the treatment of urinary tract infections showed a resistance rate of E. Coli that goes from 50 to 70%. In the city, the growth of antibiotic resistance of this organism in community infections is also considered a disturbing phenomenon since resistance rates remain very high. There are many reasons for this resistance but the major determinant one is the excessive and / or inappropriate use of antibiotics. Surveys have shown that antibiotics engulf more than 25% of the total drug consumption in Moroccan hospitals. In addition, in our cities, there is also an abuse in the prescription of antibiotics. Their counter in pharmacies without prescriptions or diagnosis may explain the misuse of these drugs and the increase of self-medication. From these bad habits in prescribing and increasing antibiotic consumption result the change of the resistance patterns of bacterial species and the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. It is high time that all concerned are aware of the seriousness of this problem. Policy monitoring and management of this bacterial resistance should be adopted
ABSTRACT
Neurosyphilis accounts for 56%-70% of all visceral syphilis and is a complication in 5%-10% of cases of untreated syphilis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological aspects and clinical presentations of neurosyphilis in Morocco through a series of 201 patients attending the Centre for Neurological Services at the university hospital in Rabat between 1986 and 1997. The mean age of the patients was 41.26 [SD 9.23] years [range: 17-70 years]; the majority [91%] were male. The incidence of neurosyphilis in Morocco is high. From 31 cases per year in 1985, it has fallen since 1990 to reach 10 cases in 1997. Among the different clinical presentations recorded, chronic meningoencepahalitis was the commonest, followed by meningovasculitis, tabes dorsalis and optic atrophy