Rational Drug Use and Medication Safety
This session emphasizes the principles of rational drug use and strategies to ensure medication safety, highlighting the balance between therapeutic benefits and potential risks. The session will explore how biological, clinical, and pharmacological factors—such as pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, comorbidities, and genetic variability—affect drug efficacy, toxicity, and patient outcomes. Discussions will cover evidence-based prescribing, adherence to clinical guidelines, and strategies for minimizing inappropriate, overuse, or underuse of medications across healthcare settings. Case studies will illustrate the consequences of irrational drug use, including treatment failure, adverse drug reactions, drug–drug interactions, and increased healthcare costs, emphasizing the importance of patient-centered approaches. The session will also address medication safety initiatives, including pharmacovigilance programs, error reporting systems, therapeutic drug monitoring, and risk management strategies. Emerging trends, such as digital health tools, clinical decision support systems, and artificial intelligence applications, will be highlighted for their role in improving prescribing accuracy and preventing medication-related harm. Special consideration will be given to vulnerable populations, polypharmacy management, and strategies to educate patients and healthcare providers about safe and effective medication use. By integrating biological understanding with clinical, regulatory, and technological approaches, this session aims to equip participants with the knowledge and tools to promote rational drug use, minimize adverse events, and enhance overall patient safety and therapeutic outcomes.