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Background: Inappropriate self-medication is a cause of concern as it can result in wasteful expenditure, prolonged suffering, drug dependence, resistance and increase in morbidity. Self medication assumes significance among medical students as they have knowledge about ailments and medicines. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of self-medication among undergraduate medical students.Methods: The present study was conducted in December 2017 among second professional undergraduate medical students in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, GMC Jammu after obtaining approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee of GMC, Jammu. A total of 123 students who took self-medication during last six months were included and given a questionnaire that included open and close ended questions about self-medication. Data was analysed using Microsoft Excel and presented as number and percentages.Results: Total of 123 second professional undergraduate MBBS students were analysed. 72 (58.53%) were males and 51 (41.46%) were females. 96 (78%) students practised self-medication. Allopathic drugs were most commonly used for self medication (93.5%), followed by Ayurvedic drugs. Fever and headache were common ailments treated with self medication. Common class of drugs used for self medication were antipyretics (66.6%), antibiotics (42.2%). Adverse drug reactions were perceived as the most common disadvantage of self medication. Analysis of source of information revealed that old prescriptions (33%), internet (18%) were the main sources of information. Regarding prevention of self medication, many students perceived that enhancing awareness was the most effective solution (72.3%) followed by stoppage of supply of medicines without prescription(39.8%).Conclusions: Self medication is practised by a majority of students. As responsible self medication is now increasingly being considered as a component of self-care, there is need for review of educational programs especially teaching of rational and judicious use of medicines to the undergraduate medical students.
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Background: Antibiotics are wonder drugs as they prevent and treat bacterial infections. However, their irrational use even by wrong prescribing behaviour of physician leads to antibiotic resistance medical students are future doctors and are provided knowledge and practice of antibiotics in treatment, and prevention of diseases in their study curriculum of second professional course mainly in chapters of pharmacology and microbiology. Therefore, the present study was to determine the second-year medical students’ knowledge, attitude and perception regarding antimicrobial use and resistance.Methods: Study was conducted on second professional undergraduate medical students from Government Medical College, Jammu. 140 students participated, and informed consent was taken prior to study. A validated questionnaire comprised of 20 questions was provided to them and responses were recorded. Questionnaire was comprised of 20 questions (13 questions attributed to knowledge of antibiotics usage and resistance, six to attitude and one question regarding perception).Results: The students showed fair knowledge about antibiotics and resistance. Percentages of fully correct answers was between 63-100% regarding knowledge of antibiotics. The attitude results revealed that self-medication by the student was observed in 67%, while 70% agreed that they had left over antibiotics at home, but only 42% committed that they take these left over antibiotics. As far as practice was concerned the maximum students consult text books as source of knowledge regarding resistance followed by Wikipedia.Conclusions: The current study observed high score of knowledge than attitude in medical students regarding antibiotic usage and resistance and increasing influence of internet like Wikipedia. This underscores the need for more effort in updating the students regarding antibiotic usage and resistance and laying more emphasis in the core curriculum of their academics.
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Background: Comparative studies are quite useful in evaluating the current practices in self medication among a similar subset of population. Since, self medication is one of the major causes of promoting irrational use of drugs its burden needs to be estimated more so in students with medical background.Methods: The study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching medical college among MBBS and BDS students. A questionnaire was selected based on outcome of small surveys done prior to this current study was among the MBBS and BDS students to assess their Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards self medication. Data was analyzed and expressed as numbers and percentage.Results: Total 180 students participated in the study voluntarily (100 MBBS and 80 BDS). Knowledge regarding self medication was more seen in MBBS students as compared to dental students. Only five of MBBS students encountered ADR’s(Adverse drug reactions) due to self medication. Analgesic group of drugs was the most common medication used by both the groups and pain was the chief component for which drug therapy was used.Conclusions: This study showed that students had fair knowledge about self medication but it appeared to be more among MBBS students as compared to BDS, although knowledge about ADR’s was not up to the mark. The attitude and practice of self medication was similar in both the groups. Thus, it is important to impart proper knowledge about self medication among medical students and encouragement regarding ADR teaching should be promoted.
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Background: Monitoring and reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is very important to minimize or prevent drug caused harm. Thus, pharmacovigilance deals with it and ensures the patient safety. However, most of pharmacovigilance centers are concentrated in the urban tertiary care hospitals and contributes the maximum reports of ADRs. Participation of the rural health workers is equally important towards the success of pharmacovigilance.Methods: The study was conducted using a pre-validated questionnaire among forty doctors in rural Sub district hospital Akhnoor, Jammu after approval of the institutional ethical committee of Government Medical Jammu. The questionnaire consisted of 16 questions (7 related to knowledge, 4 related to attitude, and 4 related to practice and one question pertained to under reporting). The responses were recorded, and data obtained was analysed and presented as number and percentage.Results: Total 66.6% doctors gave correct response regarding the definition of pharmacovigilance and purpose of pharmacovigilance was given by 76.6% of doctors. 70% agreed that ADR reporting is a professional obligation for them. 80% responded that health care professionals are responsible for reporting ADRs. 63.3% of them were aware of a pharmacovigilance programme of India. A total of 96.6% doctors agreed that reporting of ADR is necessary and 93.3% were of the view that pharmacovigilance should be taught in detail. Majority of doctors have experienced ADRs in patients and 36.6% have seen the ADR reporting form. However, only 10% have ever reported ADR to a pharmacovigilance center. No remuneration (50%), lack of time to report ADR (30%), belief that a single unreported case may not affect ADR database (10%), and difficulty to decide whether ADR has occurred or not (10%) were important causes for under reporting of ADRs.Conclusions: Current study has shown that majority of the doctors have good knowledge and attitude about pharmacovigilance. However, under reporting is still a major concern among rural doctors and efforts are needed to address this problem of under reporting by conducting CMEs on regular basis.
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Background: Capsules are the most commonly used solid drug dosage form and are made up of gelatin or non gelatin. Currently the gelatin based capsules drug formulations are more used. However, current issue of vegetarian and non vegetarian capsules has come up due to recent Indian government initiative to promote vegetarian capsules.Methods: There were 100 capsule dosage forms were examined for the gelatin or HPMC wall contents and nature of medicine contained in capsules, whether ayurvedic or allopathic.Results: Out of 100 capsules studied 55 had gelatin wall base while 25 had HPMC and 20 capsule labels did not mention the nature of capsule wall constituent. Out of 55 gelatin capsules 30 were of allopathic while 25 capsules were of ayurvedic medicines. Among HPMC, 15 were ayurvedic while 10 allopathic. 20 capsules had no mention of its constituent and among these non labelled capsule formulations had 11 from ayurvedic and 9 from allopathic medicines.Conclusions: The current study revealed that gelatin capsules forms bulk in Indian market. Even the gelatin capsules contained ayurvedic medicines while 10% of HPMC capsules contained allopathic medicines. Non labelled capsules formed 20% of total capsules. These findings suggest wider scope for promotion of HPMC based capsules.
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Background: Indian pharmaceutical market is fast going and there is a stiff competition amongst them as single product is marketed by different brand names. The pharmaceutical houses adopt different strategies to influence the physician to promote their products. These strategies are known to influence the prescription behaviour of physician, which may have variable impact among rural and urban doctors. Aim of the study was to compare the impact of marketing strategies of pharmaceutical houses on prescription practices of rural and urban doctors.Methods: The current crossover study was conducted among urban and rural doctors. A questionnaire consisting of 17 questions was presented to the doctors and their responses regarding different aspects of marketing strategies was recorded. Comparison between two groups was done using unpaired t-test.Results: Different strategies had impact on prescription pattern of doctors working in rural and urban institutions. All 17 parameters were affected similarly except e-mailing where urban doctors were more influenced (p=0.005).Conclusions: Present study indicates marketing strategies by different pharmaceutical houses do influence prescription pattern of physicians. Both urban and rural doctors were similarly affected except e- mailing which had more impact on urban doctors.