ABSTRACT
Background: Background: Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting by consumers is quite low in India. Assessing knowledge and attitude of consumers regarding ADR reporting and observing practice of ADR reporting among them can help explore probable causes for underreporting of ADRs by consumers.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital using investigator-administered questionnaire and interviewing indoor patients of Surgery, Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Dermatology departments. The questionnaire was prepared to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of consumers about ADR reporting. Data was analysed using mean, standard deviation and percentages.Result: A total of 820 consumers of medicines were included. It was found that 32.2% consumers were not aware that a drug can produce adverse effects. After being explained about adverse drug reactions, 94.6% consumers felt that adverse drug reactions should be reported. However, 98.8% consumers were not aware of Pharmacovigilance Programme of India. After consulting about consumer reporting programme, majority of respondents (96.1%) felt that the direct consumer reporting programme helps reporting of ADRs. Moreover, 93.7% of consumers were willing to use it to report ADRs in future. Consumers preferred the Telephonic method with a Toll free number for ADR reporting followed by informing a health care professional.Conclusion: Poor knowledge and awareness about ADR reporting is the major factor for low to nearly absent ADR reporting by consumers in India.
ABSTRACT
Present study evaluates the effects of antipsychotic medications on metabolic parameters in patients suffering from psychiatric illness. The study was carried out at tertiary care teaching hospital, department of psychiatry after obtaining written informed consent from the patients. They were randomized into three groups - Group I (n=31) (haloperidol 10 mg/day, orally), Group II (n=34) (risperidone 4-6 mg/day, orally) and Group III (n=38) (olanzapine 10 mg/day, orally). Metabolic parameters [fasting blood sugar (FBS), post prandial blood sugar (PP2BS), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), serum cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein (S.LDL) and high density lipoprotein (S.HDL)] were measured at the end of 3 and 6 months. Data was analysed using a suitable statistical tests. In group II significant changes (p<0.05) were observed in FBS, HBA1C, cholesterol, S.LDL and S.HDL while in group III significant changes (p<0.05) were observed in all the metabolic parameters at the end of 6 months. In group III, FBS, PP2BS, HbA1C, Serum cholesterol, triglyceride and S.LDL levels were increased 9.41%, 7.09%, 8%, 6.25%, 7.68% and 9.92% respectively, at the end of 6 months. Patients treated with haloperidol showed minimum changes in metabolic parameters at the end of 6 months. Olanzapine is associated with more disturbances in metabolic parameters as compared to risperidone and haloperidol.
ABSTRACT
The present study was undertaken to compare the efficacy and safety of timolol with dorzolamide, brimonidine or latanoprost in patients of primary open angle glaucoma. This prospective, observational study was conducted over one and a half year at the Regional Eye Institute, in patients of primary open angle glaucoma who were prescribed dorzolamide (2%) and timolol (0.5%) (DT), brimonidine (0.1%) and timolol (0.5%) (BT) or latanoprost (0.005%) and timolol (0.5%) (LT). Measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) and indirect ophthalmoscopy was done at baseline and after 1, 3 and 6 months of treatment. Efficacy was assessed by the degree of reduction in intraocular pressure and change in cup-disc ratio. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs), if any, were recorded. The data was analysed using Student’s ‘t’ test and one-way ANOVA test. P value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Total number of 35 patients in DT group, 34 in BT group and 32 in LT group completed the study. At the end of 6 months, average reduction in IOP levels was 7.83, 9.39 and 9.73mmHg in DT, BT and LT groups respectively. Thus, a percent reduction of 29.4, 35.6 and 36.2 from baseline was observed in these groups respectively. While the reduction was maximum in LT group, there was no statistically significant difference between any of the groups at 1, 3 or 6 months. A total of 47 ADRs were reported, none of which required discontinuation. All three combinations are effective in reducing the IOP level in patients of primary open angle glaucoma and none appear to be superior to the others.