Towards rational medicine use: is there a role for children?

Irrational, wasteful, and even dangerous medicine use is a serious problem in developing countries. It is important to work to solve it through the provision of safe, efficacious and affordable drugs, through strengthening the drug regulatory systems and through the education of health care providers. However, it is important as well that the population learns to use medicines wisely. Educating children in developing countries about appropriate use of medicines is a strategy that has the potential to improve medicine use throughout the communities where the children live and for future generations. Currently, very few children's health education curricula include anything on appropriate medicine use, and what exists has not been based on what children know, or on their behavior or expectations relative to medicines in the context of their cultures. Support is sought for the inclusion of rational medicine use in comprehensive school health curricula and researchers are encouraged to develop and evaluate culturally sensitive, age appropriate, and acceptable medicine use education programs.