Evaluation of knowledge, attitude and behavior about rational use of medicines in second year medical students
Keywords:
Rational use of drugs, KAP study, Awareness about RUMAbstract
Background: To assess the knowledge about various issues concerned with rational use of medicines in second year medical students
Methods: This was a survey-based, cross-sectional study in which a self developed, pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was used. Respondents were 153 students of second year MBBS (beginning of third semester). They were explained about nature and purpose of study and necessary consent obtained. Questions were framed to obtain information about various issues concerned with use of medicines, common beliefs /misconceptions, purchase of medicines, sources of information about medicines etc. Results were expressed as counts and percentages.
Results: Majority of respondents were aware about OTC (54%) and generic medicines (96.7%), importance of reading medicine label (58.8%), that medicines are not needed for every illness (86.2%), medicines manufactures by big multinational companies are not always better (67.9%). 75.8% respondents were not influenced by direct to consumer advertising for purchase of medicines and 69.9% opined that medicines obtained from government hospital are not of inferior quality. 83.6% of respondents opined that they never mixed treatment of more than one doctor at a time and 83% always purchased all medicines written in prescription. For 93.4% respondents’ doctors’ advice was the most important factor that influenced medicine purchase.
Conclusion: Though majority of respondents were aware about most of the issues addressed in the questionnaire which seems to be a positive finding, those still unaware needs to be educated by adopting suitable interventions.
Metrics
References
Sharma S. Promoting Rational drug use under National Rural Health Mission, National Health Resources centre. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India 2009;5-7.
World Health Organisation: Guide to Good Prescribing, Geneva. World Health Organisation 1994;101-3.
Holloway K. Promoting rational use of medicines. Contact a publication of world council of churches 2006;183:2-3.
Toklu HZ, Demirdamar R, Gümüşel B, Ersin Yarış E, Dülger G. Rational drug use awareness of the nurses in the turkish republic of northern cyprus near east university hospital. Marmara Pharmaceutical Journal 2012;16:150-4.
Kunda G, Thawani V, Sontakke S, Chaudhari K, Bankar M, Diwe R. Effect of information, education and communication intervention on awareness about rational pharmacy practice in pharmacy students. Indian Journal of Pharmacology 2011;43 (4):381-4.
Sankaravadivu T, Kumar SE, Bhavya E. A prospective study on rational drug use and the essential drug concept. International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences 2011;2(2):503-6.
Henry J, Handu SS, Khalid AJ, Khaja ASO, Sequeira RP. Evaluation of the knowledge, attitude and practice of self-medication among first-year medical students. Med Princ Pract 2006;15:270-5.
James H, Handu SS, Khaja KA, Sequeira RP. Influence of medical training on self-medication
by students. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2008;46(1):23-9.
Sontakke SD, Bajait CS, Pimpalkhute SA, Jaiswal KM, Jaiswal SR. Comparative study of evaluation of self-medication practices in first and third year medical students. Int J Biol Med Res 2011;2(2):561-4.
Patrício KP, Borges Alves NA, Arenales NG, Queluz TT. Teaching the rational use of medicines to medical students: a qualitative research. BMC Medical Education 2012;12:56.
De-Sousa F, Andressa B, Fernanda B, Fernandes MS. Rational use of medicines report of an experience in medical education at unesc criciúma, santa catarina state, brazil. Rev Bras Educ Med. [online] 2010;34(3):438-45.
World Health Organization: Selection and rational use of medicines. Fact sheet: N°338, 2010. Available at http://www.who.int/mediacentre/ factsheets/fs338/en/. Accessed 29 July 2013.
Maxwell S, Walley T, Ferner RE. Using drugs safely. BMJ 2002;324(7343):930-1.
World Health Organization. Factsheet: WHO Policy Perspectives on Medicines - Promoting rational use of medicines: core components Geneva WHO, 2002. Available at hppt://www.who.int/entity/medicines/publications/policyperspectives/pp m05en.pdf. Accessed 29 July 2013.
