Medicine promotional literature as a source of updated information in Bangladesh: Do those advertising literature promote continued medical education or deceptive advertising?

Background: Drug promotional literature (DPLs) is an integral part of pharmaceutical marketing strategy. This marketing approach influences, a physician to prescribe definite variety of medicine from a particular company. Many physicians bank on exclusively in DPLs. This research was intended to appraise the DPLs available in Bangladesh for accuracy, consistency, and validity of the information in accordance with the WHO rules and regulations. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study was conducted in Uttara Adhunik Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh after collecting DPLs from the different outpatient department. The data was analyzed Microsoft Excel 2016. Results: None of the national and multinational DPLs fulfilled all the WHO criteria. Among the national and multinational DPLs, 94.7% and 100% presented with claims respectively. Out of 284 national and multinational DPLs references citation were presented in 82.04% and 100% respectively. Among the DPLs of national and multinational companies' relevant, irrelevant, and partially relevant pictures were presented in 48.79%, 24.65%, 26.76% and 31.58%, 26.32%, and 42.11%, respectively. Conclusion: DPLs of Bangladesh did not comply with the WHO guidelines while promoting their products. Evidence provided in those DPLs were mostly biased and persuasive since it is focusing mainly on the positive aspect of drug therapy. Accordingly, studied DPLs were principally aiming to maximizes industries' financial benefit rather than fulfill the educational aspects. The Government of Bangladesh should develop very stringent policy and practices regarding DPLs based on science and the WHO guideline as the literature very often act as a primary source of information among medical doctors.

Assessment of Bangladeshi Interns' Knowledge of Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Prescribing.

Every medical graduate must have the intention to prescribe rationally. It is pharmacology which teaches rational of prescribing correct drug in undergraduate medical course. Therefore many eminent medical educationists believe that pharmacology is the most essential part of the medical curriculum. Medical graduates join as interns in their respective teaching hospital immediately after graduation. Although interns work is usually under the supervision of a senior consultant but there are occasions, when they need to make their own decision. Again drug market in Bangladesh, like many other countries, is rapidly expanding. Henceforth, interns’ are sometime confused to choose a drug from therapeutic choices. This study was conducted with the intention to provide some light about the knowledge of pharmacology among the Bangladeshi interns. This was a cross-sectional study conducted on Interns (n=191) of six medical schools of Bangladesh. Validated instrument was used to uptake the data. These medical schools are both government and private but Bangladesh has unique curriculum for all medical schools. Out of these 191 participants 81 (42%) rated pharmacology knowledge is good, while another 77 (40%) had average understanding. As high as 80% (152) intern population feel that undergraduate training has prepared them to prescribe safely. One hundred seventeen (61%) interns have already observed cases of adverse drug reactions in their short active clinical life. Although it is a cross sectional study with its limitations, has identified that pharmacology and therapeutics course curriculum is not enough to produce safe prescribers.