Perceptions and Attitudes of Hospital' Prescribers towards Drug Information Sources and Prescribing Practices

Abstract Healthcare professionals use a variety of drug information sources to fulfill their clinical needs and medical practice. The aim of present study was to assess the sources of drug information among hospital' prescribers and evaluate their prescribing behavior in Saudi hospitals. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among randomly selected hospital' prescribers using a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate to the survey was 64.29%, with a ratio of 76.44% male and 23.56% female. The internet 137(60.89%) and textbooks 86(38.22%) were the prevalent sources for drug information used. Up-To-Date 107(47.56%), Medscape 105(46.67%) and FDA 74(32.88%) were the common electronic drug sources used. About 151(67.11%) of hospital' prescribers considered the pharmacist as a reliable drug information source. The most favored drug requests by hospital' prescribers from the pharmacists were drug alternatives 110(48.89%) followed by drug interactions 94(41.78%), side effects 78(34.67%) and indications 60(26.67%). Therapeutic efficacy 168(74.67%) and drug availability 73(32.44%) were the main factors contributed to the selection of drugs. This study shows some differences in hospital prescribers' perceptions of sources of drug information depending upon their background and clinical practice. Therefore, knowing appropriate drug information used by hospital' prescribers is fundamental for drug efficacy and safety in clinical practice.

Comparison of drug information in package inserts with standard medical textbook of pharmacology

Background: Accurate and reliable drug product information is important for the safe and effective use of medicines. But there are variations in the quantity and quality of information mentioned in different drug information sources and a single credible benchmark is lacking. This study was carried out to compare the presentation and completeness of clinical information in package inserts (PIs) marketed by pharmaceutical companies in India with standard medical textbook of pharmacology.Methods: Out of eighty five PIs of different drugs, only 55 were found eligible to be included in this study after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. These PIs and medical textbook were analysed for quantitative and qualitative drug information and were compared using Chi square test of two proportions. The p value of 0.05 was used as cut off to evaluate statistical significance.Results: Quantitatively medical textbook was significantly better statistically in context of treatment of overdose and references. No statistically significant difference was observed in relation to information related to mechanism of action (MOA) and pharmacokinetics (Pk). After qualitative analysis, medical textbook was significantly better statistically in context of size and readability, references related to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and indications and pictures. No statistically significant difference was observed in context of dosing interval, frequency of doses and pharmacokinetic parameters.Conclusions: PIs can be used as a reliable source of drug information by health care professionals in addition to other sources like medical textbooks.