An approach regarding the use of medication in biology textbooks as a strategy for health promotion

The inappropriate use of medication represents a major threat to public health and drugs rank first among the agents causing intoxication in Brazil, ahead of poisons for rodents and insects, illegal drugs, pesticides, cleaning products and spoiled food. The National Curriculum of Secondary Education Parameters (PCN+) give major emphasis to health, since the reference to Drugs is mentioned repeatedly in the text. The scope of this research was to study the approaches to drug use in textbooks. For this purpose, eleven biology textbooks were analyzed, namely six single volumes and five with three volumes each, i.e. a total of twenty-one volumes. The rational use of medication should be considered an important topic for the promotion of health which affects all sectors of society and should be emphasized in basic education. In line with this idea and based on the results obtained, it is suggested that the textbooks analyzed should be adapted to the new legislation and content that addresses Rational Drug Use, thus meeting the recommendations of PCN+. In this context, the books should concisely address the following topics: self-medication, adherence to drug treatment, advertisements and reports on drugs, among others.