Rational pharmacotherapy supports the treatment and safety of patients
Rational, or sensible, pharmacotherapy is effective, safe, of high quality, economical and equal.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health promotes rational pharmacotherapy in cooperation with various actors to ensure that the use of medicines is as appropriate and as safe for patients as possible.
What are the benefits of rational pharmacotherapy?
Pharmacotherapy is effective when a person takes the correct dose of the medication they need at the right time and as instructed. The right practices, the correct information and its dissemination enable medical professionals to get the patient’s medication right and reduce the use of unnecessary medicines.
The correct use of medicines benefits both patients and society. When unnecessary medicines are taken out of use, the patient’s treatment will succeed better and savings can be made. The rational use of medicines increases society’s savings in medicines in a new way.
Rational Pharmacotherapy Action Plan
The Rational Pharmacotherapy Action Plan was drawn up in broad cooperation with various actors in the field of pharmacotherapy.
The key objectives of the Action Plan were related to the effectiveness, safety, quality and economic efficiency of pharmacotherapies. The recommended measures included enhancing comprehensive patient-specific pharmacotherapy management, improving the conditions for a smooth flow of information at the different stages of the pharmacotherapy process and promoting medication safety and the economic efficiency of treatment.
The reports published on the work relating to the Action Plan are available on the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health:
How can pharmacotherapy be rationalised?
Achieving the objectives of rational pharmacotherapy requires cooperation between professionals working in the service system, pharmaceutical services and the healthcare and social welfare sector, and the users of medicines.
A reform of pharmaceutical matters, which covers several government terms, is currently underway to develop the different areas of pharmaceutical services. This, in turn, will promote rational pharmacotherapy.
Various authorities, such as the Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea), the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) and the Finnish Centre for Client and Patient Safety, support this development work.
- Rational pharmacotherapy (Fimea), in Finnish
- Development network for pharmaceutical safety (Finnish Centre for Client and Patient Safety), in Finnish
- Provision of pharmacotherapy (Valvira), in Finnish
Principles of safe pharmacotherapy
The primary aim of the guide to safe pharmacotherapy is to provide support for all operating and work units providing pharmacotherapy to ensure the safety of the pharmacotherapy process.