ABSTRACT
Background: Drug promotional literature (DPL) is used by the pharmaceutical companies for promotion of their drug. It is the commonest source for providing information about the drug to the physician. According to WHO promotional literature should be reliable, truthful, informative, balanced and up to date.Methods: Study was conducted in Department of Pharmacology, Muzaffarnagar Medical College. 200 drug promotional literatures like advertisements published in medical journal, package insert of medicinal products and brochures were collected and analysed according to WHO criteria.Results: Total 200 promotional literatures were analysed. 100 promotional literatures were from the medical journal, 50 were package inserts of medicinal products and 50 were medicinal brochures. On assessing DPL using WHO criteria, all DPL mentioned brand names and dosage form (100%). Most of them published the generic name (98.5%), therapeutic uses (78%), side- effects (75%), dosage regimen (70%), contraindication (62.5%), warnings (55%), drug interaction (54%), precaution (50%), reference to scientific literature (45%), name of manufacture and distributor (99%), address of manufacturer and distributor (50%). Out of 200 DPL only 151 DPL contain references to scientific literature, 88 DPL references were retrievable and 63 were non retrievable.Conclusions: Our study shows although pharmaceutical companies are trying to adhere to the WHO criteria it is not fulfilled. As DPL are an important source of seeking information by the medical practitioner who rely on them to impart treatment to the patient, strict steps to regulate fulfilment of the WHO criteria should be taken by the government and authorities.
ABSTRACT
Background: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic allergic conjunctival disease. Immunomodulatory drugs like cyclosporine is being used for its treatment. Tacrolimus is another immunomodulator drug that can be used in VKC. This study was done to compare the efficacy of tacrolimus and cyclosporine in VKC.Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 60 patients of either sex by dividing them into two groups. The first group was treated with cyclosporine (0.05%) ophthalmic eye drop and second group with tacrolimus (0.03%) ophthalmic ointment. Total five objective signs (hyperaemia, oedema, papillae, corneal involvement and tantra’s dot) and five subjective symptoms (itching, tearing, foreign body sensation, discharge and photophobia) data was collected and tabulated for statistical analysis.Results: Authors found TSSS in both groups decrease significantly (p <0.05 or p <0.01 or p <0.001) at all post periods as compared to respective predecessor periods except 4 weeks to 6 weeks in cyclosporine group and 6 weeks to 8 weeks in tacrolimus group. Similarly, for each period, on comparing the mean TSSS between the groups TSSS between the groups at all periods does not differed statistically though at final evaluation (mean change from baseline to 8 weeks), it improved 5.2% more in tacrolimus group (83.7%) than cyclosporine group (78.5%). Similarly, TOSS also decreased at all post periods except 4 weeks to 6 weeks, and 6 weeks to 8 weeks in cyclosporine group and 6 weeks to 8 weeks in tacrolimus group. Improvement in scores was 11.6% more in tacrolimus (81.6%) than cyclosporine (70.0%). Cyclosporine eye drops are associated with burning sensation and redness of eyes while transient ocular irritation was only observed side effect with tacrolimus.Conclusions: The study found tacrolimus is clinically better drug for treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis than cyclosporine and is also cost effective.
ABSTRACT
Background: Pain and pyrexia are the warning signals, primarily protective in nature, that cause discomfort and suffering and may even be unbearable and incapacitating. The modern drugs (like opioids, NSAIDs, corticosteroids) currently used for the management of pain, fever and inflammatory conditions, present with many known adverse effects. Tinospora cordifolia known as Giloe, widely used in folk medicine due to its property to cure a number of diseases. Hence the present study was undertaken to explore the analgesic activity of water-soluble extract of stem of T. cordifolia in albino rats in experimentally induced pain.Methods: Present study was done in the department of pharmacology, albino rats were used to study the analgesic activity of T. cordifolia aqueous extract at the dose of 1.25g/kg,2.5g/kg and 5g/kg p.o. Various methods like Eddy’s hot plate, tail flick test and acetic acid induced writhing were used for the anti- nociceptive study.Results: In Eddy’s hot plate and tail flick test an increase in reaction time was observed with peak effect at 90min. Results were similar to the standard drug Tramadol in acetic acid induced writhing increase in time of onset, decrease in number and duration of writhing was observed.Conclusions: Aqueous extract of T. cordifolia was effective in all the three models of pain suggesting its possible action by central and peripheral mechanisms. Activity of T. cordifolia can be attributed to various phytoconstituents viz. protoberberine alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides and polysaccharides. It can be developed as potent analgesic agent in future.
ABSTRACT
Background: Increasing disease incidence and prevalence necessitate healthcare practitioners to prescribe diverse medications. Families and patients are in possession of unused or expired medications and its risks have started gaining notice across the world. Majority of them including medical students are unaware about the disposal of unused or expired medicines. Misuse and improper disposal of unused/expired medications is a major safety and environmental concern, and thus proper disposal of those medications is highly important.Methods: Questionnaire based study was conducted among medical undergraduates of third year MBBS in two tertiary care teaching hospitals of Uttar Pradesh after approval from Institutional Ethical Committees during July-August 2018.Results: There were 65% of respondent had unused drugs in their home while 30% had the expired drugs. The most common reason for the unused and expiry drugs in the home was self-discontinuation. Analgesics were the main group of drugs possessed by participants. 67% in this study responded that drug disposal method was disposing the expired drugs to garbage. Only 26% know about the area in the city where unused/expired drugs are collected. 46% think that proper education of the community is required for appropriate disposal of unused drugs.Conclusions: Intervention by education about prudent drug disposal techniques that are also environmentally safe and acceptable is the need of time to change their behavior. There is also needing to understand the practice and awareness of the public to make any such education by program a success.