Self-medication Practice of Antibiotics among Medical and Dental Undergraduate Students in a Medical College in Eastern Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Self-medication plays significant role in the development of adverse drug reactions, antibiotic resistance, and masking of underlying diseases. Medical students have some knowledge about the use of antibiotics and have a higher chance of irrational and injudicious use. This study aims to find the prevalence of self-medication practice of antibiotics among medical and dental undergraduate students. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done among medical and dental undergraduate students from the first year to the fifth year at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences from 1st June 2018 to 30th August 2018. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee (IRC/1210/018). Whole sampling was done. Data was collected using a self-responding, semistructured questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 11.5. RESULTS: In total 558 students, the prevalence of self-medication practice of different antibiotics was 285 (51.1%) within the past year. Among self-medicated students, 152 (53.3%) were males. The common drug self-medicated was Azithromycin 80 (28.1%) and the common medical condition to use non-prescription antibiotics was for treatment of sore throat with runny nose 129 (45.3%). The main source for obtaining non-prescription antibiotics were retail pharmacies 157 (55.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Self-medication with antibiotics was at increasing rate with each succeeding years of the medical courses. Medical students should be made aware of the rational use of antibiotics by incorporating appropriate courses in their academic curriculum for more refined practice on antibiotics rather than advancement of theoretical knowledge alone.

Prevalence of Self-medication among MBBS students of a Medical College in Kathmandu.

INTRODUCTION: Self-medication refers to self-prescription which includes diagnosing and treating one's own illness and prescribing for one's self. Though appropriate self-medication relieves acute symptoms, is time saving and economical, it should not be advocated because of more risks than benefits. Self-medication practices were found to vary in medical students of Nepal and India. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of self-medication among medical students. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 76 MBBS students. The study involved the administration of the research questionnaire including demographic information, practice of self-medication, type of illness, factors influencing self-medication, commonly self- prescribed drugs, sources and strategies to reduce such practices. The data were analyzed using Graph pad prism version 6. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-medication was 58 (76.6%), more common among first year students. The common illness found was headache and common drug self-prescribed was analgesic-antipyretic. The most common source of obtaining medicines for all three year medical students was pharmacy. Students were also prescribing medicines to family members, friends and juniors. More than half of the students 52 (68.4%) reported that self-medication practices should be encouraged. CONCLUSIONS: Self-medication had been widely practiced among medical students. Self-medication can relieve medical problems but also involve the risks of adverse drug reactions, resistance and masking of underlying diseases. Medical students should be given enough exposure for better understanding of rational prescribing to minimize self-medication. The further study on practice of self-medication is needed on various health professionals and even in general community.

Maternal cardiac arrhythmias during pregnancy and lactation.

Arrhythmias occurring during pregnancy can cause significant symptoms and even death in mother and fetus. The management of these arrhythmias is complicated by the need to avoid harm to the fetus and neonate. It is useful to classify patients with arrhythmias into those with and without structural heart disease. Those with a primary electrical problem, but an otherwise normal heart, often tolerate rapid heart rates without compromise whereas patients with problems such as rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease or cardiomyopathy may quickly decompensate during an arrhythmia.

Análise dos aspectos legais das prescrições de medicamentos / Analysis of the legal aspects of medical prescription in a Brazilian city

Avaliaram-se as prescrições aviadas nas farmácias e drogarias do Município de Araraquara no mês de maio/2006, segundo o cumprimento dos dispositivos legais para receituários de medicamentos. Analisaram-se 1.335 prescrições, das quais 40(3%) não tinham a assinatura e 212 (15,9%) sem o carimbo do prescritor e 170 (12,7%) não tinham data. Observaram-se prescrições com rasuras (4,6%) e ou em código (4,4%). Apenas 58,8% das prescrições estavam em letra legível. Havia prescrições sem o nome do paciente (7,2%). Quanto às informações referentes à utilização dos medicamentos nenhuma prescrição continha todas as informações exigidas: 7,6% não apresentavam informações de posologia, 54,3% não informavam a apresentação, 33,6% sem descrição da via de administração e 51,2% não informavam a duração do tratamento. Dados demonstram o não cumprimento dos dispositivos legais e informações incompletas do modo de uso do medicamento podem levar ao uso irracional e a erros de medicação. Ausência da assinatura e carimbo do prescritor, data de emissão e nome do paciente podem levar a fraudes e falsificação de receituários. Portanto os dados corroboram com a necessidade de atualização dos profissionais prescritores e dispensadores, bem como atuação orientativa dos respectivos conselhos de classe.

This article describes a survey of prescriptions dispensed in drugstores and pharmacies in the city of Araraquara in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, in May 2006. Their contents were assessed for compliance with the laws in force on drug prescription and dispensing. A total of 1,335 prescriptions were examined: 40 (3%) were unsigned, 212 (15.9%) did not contain the prescribing physician's stamp, 170 (12.7%) were undated. There were prescriptions containing corrections (4.6%),and written in code (4.4%). Only 58.8% were legible and easy to understand; nevertheless all of them were dispensed. Some did not specify the name of the patient (7.2%). On how to use the medication prescribed, nota single prescription contained all the information required by law. Specifically, 7.6% lacked information on dosage, 54.3% on presentation, 33.6% on how to take the drug, and 51.2% on duration of treatment. The data show a general failure to comply with the laws on drug prescription and dispensing. Incomplete information on the drugs and their correct use could lead to irrational use and errors in medication. The lack of prescribers' signature and stamp, date of emission and name of patient can lead to fraudulent and counterfeit prescriptions. Thus, the data found point to the need for capacitation of prescribing and dispensing professionals and the importance of the role of professional associations in guiding their members.

Discharge prescribing practices: Comparing a research ward to general treatment wards.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prescribing practices between a research ward and general non-research wards within the same psychiatric facility. METHOD: This drug utilization survey is a retrospective naturalistic study evaluating discharge prescriptions from a tertiary-care psychiatric teaching hospital over a 2-year period. RESULTS: Overall, patients discharged from the general wards were prescribed significantly more psychotropic medications than patients discharged from the research ward. This was attributed, in part, to the greater prevalence of antipsychotic polypharmacy and anticholinergic utilization. CONCLUSIONS: We postulate that the academic environment of a research ward accounts for the differences in prescribing practices observed in our study.