In 1997 Thailand’s WHO Country Office partially supported the First International Conference on Improving the Use of Medicines or ICIUM in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Over 270 researchers, health system managers, and policy makers from 46 countries around the world gathered and discussed various issues concerning the rational use of drug. The conference found that there was an urgent need of a better understanding on self-medication and the use of medicine in the community. Self-medication with modern pharmaceuticals has been known to be a widespread phenomenon worldwide, but there was an inadequate understanding on how people make decision on self-medication and how modern pharmaceuticals are distributed and utilized in the contexts of local communities.

This report is a result of an attempt to assess the state of knowledge on self- medication and community drug use in Thailand. The research project, entitled “Situation Analysis: Review of Quality Drug Use in the Community,” was undertaken by a multidisciplinary teamwork over a period of one year. In assessing the state of knowledge in this field, special attentions have been paid on the following research questions:

• How do people make decisions on self-medication in their life situations in the Thai rural communities?
• What kinds of modern pharmaceuticals are available and frequently used in rural communities in Thailand?
• How are modern pharmaceuticals distributed and dispensed in rural Thailand?
• What is the current situation on regulations and regulative enforcement with regard to the use of modern pharmaceuticals in the community?

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