Iron-containing drugs (iron-containing drugs) are a group of drugs containing elemental iron and necessary to replenish the reserve of iron ions in case of iron deficiency and the development of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). The study of the use of drug products in the framework of good pharmacovigilance practice showed an acceptable level of benefit / risk ratio. IDA can be caused by bleeding of various origins, insufficient food intake or impaired absorption of iron, as well as a period of increased demand for iron.
According to statistics, more than 2 billion people in the world suffer from IDA, and 3.4 billion people have latent iron deficiency. In the Russian Federation, the incidence rates of IDA are increasing every year. The incidence in the Volga Federal District, which includes the Republic of Bashkortostan (RB), as of 2016 amounted to 2,678.6 cases per 100,000 people, which is 2.4 times higher than the national average. The main symptoms of iron deficiency are manifestations in the form of dizziness, palpitations, fatigue, shortness of breath, brittle nails, hair loss, taste perversion and impaired smell, and the lack of therapy for IDA can lead to severe complications, especially from the cardiovascular and central nervous system. However, in the context of the financial and economic crisis, there is a tendency for a fall in real incomes, the population’s ability to pay, and expenses for drugs, including for drug products, the sales of which in physical terms decreased by 5.8% from 2013 to 2015. … Therefore, it is relevant to identify the characteristics of consumer behavior when purchasing an essential drug, which will allow pharmacy organizations (AOs) to minimize unsatisfied demand by forming an optimal assortment portfolio, taking into account the affordability of an essential drug product at the minimum cost of AO, improving the quality of medical and drug care. The safety of drug use should be ensured by good pharmacovigilance practice.
It was revealed that the main consumers of drug products are women aged 26–40 years with a monetary income of up to 20 thousand rubles, who are ready to purchase an essential drug product with a value not exceeding 250–500 rubles for their own use and for children. When buying a medical device, the main selection criteria are efficiency, price and the minimum number of side effects. The most effective and rarely (moderately) manifested side effects are Ferlatum, Ferlatum Fol (oral solution), Maltofer Fol (chewable tablets), Totema (oral solution) and Ferrum Lek (chewable tablets) (medium score of the criterion «Efficiency» — 3.21; the average score of the criterion «Frequency of side effects» — 3.19). However, the affordability of these LSDs is low, which indicates the need for the development and production of LSDs of domestic production within the framework of the import substitution strategy. The generation of periodic safety reports as part of good pharmacovigilance practice should keep the benefit / risk ratio high.