A study to assess and increase awareness regarding fixed dose combinations among medical undergraduates at Indore and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20160727Keywords:
Fixed dose combinations, Awareness, Medical students, QuestionnaireAbstract
Background: Fixed dose combination (FDC) is a formulation containing two or more active ingredients in a fixed ratio of doses. Presently, there is lot of debate over rationality- irrationality, advantages-disadvantages of FDCs. Their judicious use or misuse is primarily up to the physician. FDCs should be focused upon in detail in undergraduate teaching as these students would be the future practitioners. Hence, the present study was undertaken to address these issue regarding FDCs in medical undergraduates in 2 government medical colleges in central India.
Methods: Questionnaire addressing various aspects of FDCs was prepared. Survey was conducted at medical colleges at Indore and Sagar among MBBS students belonging to 2nd and 3rd professional years. After pre-test questionnaires were filled, an educational intervention was given to students in the form of an interactive presentation on FDCs addressing all the major aspects. After a week, the post-test questionnaire containing same 20 questions was administered to the students. Data from pre and post-test responses was compiled in tabular form and analysed using simple percentage method.
Results: Pre-test responses showed that students already have a high level of awareness regarding basic concepts of FDCs; however they were found lacking in knowledge about the scientific aspects of FDCs. The educational interventional led to a substantial improvement in awareness regarding all aspects of FDCs and cleared students’ confusions.
Conclusions: Students’ awareness and knowledge about an important topic like FDCs should be strengthened through focused training which can prove critical in promoting rational use of drugs in the future.
Metrics
References
Sreedhar D, Subramanian G, Udupa N. Combination drugs: are they rational? Curr Sci. 2006:91:406.
Poudel A, Palaian S, Shankar PR, Jayasekera J, Izham MIM. Irrational fixed dose combinations in Nepal: Need for intervention. Kathmandu Univ Med J. 2008;23:399-405.
Amitava S. Indian market's fixation with fixed dose combinations. Rational Drug Bulletin. 2002;12:1.
Chakraborti A. Fixed dose combinations in therapy. Pharmavoice Express Pharma. 2007:1-15.
Gautam CS, Saha L. Fixed dose combination (FDCs): rational or irrational: a view point. British J Clin Pharmacol. 2007;65:795-6.
Sreedhar D, Janodia MD, Ligade VS, Mohapatra S, Ganguly R, Udupa N. Fixed dose combinations: rational or irrational?. Curr Sci. 2008;95:581-3.
Tandon VR. Is enalapril and losartan combination rational? Indian J Pharmacol. 2006;38:295-8.
Gautam CS, Aditya S. Irrational drug combination: need to sensitize undergraduates. Indian J Pharmacol. 2006;38:169-70.
Chandler SG, Lekha S. Fixed dose drug combinations (FDCs): rational or irrational: a view point. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2008;65:795-6.
Shrivastava SK. Chapter 90 Fixed Dose Combinations: General comments and complete textbook of medical pharmacology. Sirmour, India: Avichal Pub Company. 2012;2:1413-4.
Desai SV. Essential drug and rational drug therapy. Bull Soc Rational Ther. 2001;12:2-7.
Patel S, Shah R, Desai S. A study of prevailing scenario of fixed-dose drug combinations (FDCs) available in Indian market. Int J Pharm. 2015;5(4):1155-63.
Drugs banned in India. Available at: www.cdsco.nic.in/html/Drugsbanned.html. Accessed on 17 February, 2016.
WHO Technical Report Series, No. 929. Annex 5. Guidelines for registration of fixed-dose combination medicinal products. Geneva 2005. Available as pdf.
Shrivastava SK. A complete textbook of medical pharmacology. Sirmour, India: Avichal publishing company. 2012;1:58-59.
Chowta MN, Shenoy A, Kamath A. Manual of practical pharmacology for MBBS. 1st ed. Sirmour, India: Avichal publishing company. 2016:33-34.
Poudel A, Palaian S, Shankar PR, Jayasekera J, Izham MI. Irrational fixed dose combinations in Nepal: Need for intervention. Kathmandu Univ Med J. 2008;6:399-405.
World Health Organization (WHO) Model List of Essential Medicines for adults 17th list (updated), March 2011. Available at: http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/essentialmedicines/en/index.html. Accessed on 17 February, 2016.
Hindoliya M, Sharma PK, Dhaneria SP. Prescribing trends of fixed dose combinations in teaching and non-teaching hospitals of Ujjain District. J Pharm Res. 2012;5:3503-5.
National list of essential medicines. 2011. Available at: http://www.whoindia.org/LinkFiles/Essential_Medicine_List_Essential Medicine-2011.pdf. Accessed on 17 February, 2016.
Fixed Dose Combinations Approved By Dcg (I) Since 1961 Till November, 2014. Available at:http://cdsco.nic.in/writereaddata/Aprroved%20FDC%20list%20till%20november%202014.pdf Accessed on 05 February, 2016.
Department-related parliamentary standing committee on health and family welfare, 59th report on the functioning of the central drugs standard control organization (CDSCO). Available at: http://164.100.47.5/newcommittee/reports/englishcommittees/committee%20on%20health%20and%20family%20welfare/59.pdf. Accessed on 07 February, 2016.
Policy guidelines for approval of fixed dose combinations (FDCs) in India. Central Drugs Standard Control Organization. Directorate general of health services. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Govt. Of India. 2013. Pdf.
Pradeep DT, Purohit S. Rationality of fixed dose combinations: necessity to weed out the irrational combinations mushrooming in pharmaceutical industry. India; Pharmacinfo.net. Available at: http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/rationality-fixed-dose combinations necessity- weed-out-irrational-combinations. Accessed on 17 February, 2016.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
