Abstract submission is now closed.

General guidelines for abstracts: Priority will be given to abstracts on the key focus and topic areas described in the Call for Abstracts. The highest rated abstracts will (1) describe the effects of an intervention, program implementation, or policy change on use of medicines in low- or middle-income countries; or (2) examine methods for studying patterns or determinants of medicines use in these settings. In general, descriptive studies will only be considered if they present new insights or methodologies. Research from high income countries may be submitted if methods or findings are particularly relevant.

Abstracts and conference attendance: Conference attendance will be limited to approximately 500 participants. First priority will be given to individuals with accepted abstracts and to invited participants. Allocation of the remaining places will take into account the dates on which applications to attend the conference were received.

Presentation of work: All participants with accepted abstracts will be asked to prepare a poster presentation of their study. In addition, some abstracts will be accepted for oral presentation. All posters will be shown throughout the conference, some in the form of guided poster discussions, to allow all participants to view results. As in the previous ICIUM conferences, all conference materials presented will be captured on a conference website that will become a valuable repository of information from the conference.

Structure of abstract: The length of the abstract (excluding title, authors, institutions, and key words) must not exceed 3000 characters. Spaces count as characters. All abstracts should be organized in the following categories: Problem Statement; Objectives; Design; Setting; Study Population; Intervention, Program, or Policy Change (if applicable); Outcome Measure(s); Results; Conclusions; Funding Sources.

Problem Statement: Begin abstract with a short statement on the study background and specific medicines problem addressed.

Objectives: State clearly the primary objectives of the study in the form of specific aims or research questions. If applicable, describe the specific changes the intervention, program, or policy under study was intended to accomplish.

Setting: Describe the study setting(s). State whether the study was conducted at the international/regional, national, provincial/district, or local level. Indicate if the study was based in: the community, primary care facilities, hospitals, individual medical practices, pharmacies, or dispensaries. Specify whether the study examines the public sector, private sector, or both.

Study Population: Describe the type and number of study participants, how they were selected, eligibility criteria, and key socio-demographic features. In follow-up studies, state the proportion of participants who completed the study. For sample selection procedures, use the following terms if appropriate: random sample; population-based sample; convenience sample.

Intervention(s): Describe the essential features of any intervention(s), including methods and duration.

Policy(ies): Describe the essential features of any policy change evaluated, including content and implementation details.

Outcome Measure(s): Indicate the primary study outcome measurement(s).

Results: Give the main results of the study, including, if possible, confidence intervals and the level of statistical significance.

Conclusions: Report conclusions directly supported by the evidence as well as their policy significance. Give equal emphasis to positive and negative findings of scientific merit.

Funding Source(s): Name the organization(s) that funded the research.