Authors
1 Department of Pharmacology, Lokamanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Mumbai
2 Department of Pharmacology, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Latur,
3 Department of Pharmacology, SRTR GMC, Ambajogai, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
CONTEXT: Fresh Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery graduates (FMGs) are responsible
for the majority of prescription errors and irrational use of medicines. Little research has explored
their knowledge on rational prescribing practices.
AIMS: The present study aimed to evaluate the awareness of rational use of medicines (RUMs)
among the FMGs.
SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A multicentric, cross‑sectional, and questionnaire‑based study was
conducted among 308 FMGs during the internship orientation program.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The structured and prevalidated questionnaire consisted of
35 statements on important aspects of RUM.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0 at 95% level of
significance with Fisher’s exact test.
RESULTS: Nearly 31% of FMGs did not know that the generic drugs are equally efficacious as branded
drugs whereas 53% were in support of pregnant female should not consume any drug. Nearly 58% of
FMGs were confused about deciding the dose in children and 18% were in favor of using antibiotics
in common cold. Almost 55% of FMGs were disagree for adjusting the dose of antidiabetic drugs by
patient depending on the meal taken whereas 12% were not aware of the importance of compliance
of antihypertensive drugs and 40% were supporting the safety of fruits in chronic renal disease. The
FMG from government colleges answered more correctly than that of the private colleges.
CONCLUSIONS: The awareness of RUM among FMG is not satisfactory, and also there is a gap in
its implementation. Thus, they should be supervised during the initial phase of their medical practice.
Keywords
Core components. WHO Policy Perspectives on Medicine.
Geneva: WHO; 2002.
2. World Health Organization. The Role of Education in the Rational
Use of Medicines. SEARO Technical Publication Series No. 45.
October, 2006. WHO‑SEARO; 2006. Available from: http://www.
apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s16792e/s16792e.
pdf. [Last accessed on 2015 Jul 09].
3. World Health Organization. The Rational Use of Drugs, Report
on the Conference of Experts. Nairobi: WHO; 1985.
4. World Health Organization. Medicines: Rational use of
medicines. Fact Sheet No. 338. WHO Media Centre: World Health
Organization; 2010.
5. le Grand A, Hogerzeil HV, Haaijer‑Ruskamp FM. Intervention
research in rational use of drugs: A review. Health Policy Plan
1999;14:89‑102.
6. KamatSK, MarathePA, PatelTC, ShettyYC, RegeNN. Introduction
of case based teaching to impart rational pharmacotherapy
skills in undergraduate medical students. Indian J Pharmacol
2012;44:634‑8.
7. Oshikoya KA, Senbanjo IO, Amole OO. Interns’ knowledge of
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics after undergraduate and
on‑going internship training in Nigeria: A pilot study. BMC Med
Educ 2009;9:50.
8. Vagge DS, Muraraiah S, Jayanthi CR, Rohatgi V. A questionnaire
study to evaluate the awareness and knowledge about rational
use of medicines among trainee medical graduates in a tertiary
care centre. Int J Pharm Phytopharmacol Res 2013;3:231‑3.
9. Desai MK, Panchal Jr., Shah S, Iyer G. Evaluation of impact of
teaching clinical pharmacology and rational therapeutics to
medical undergraduates and interns. Int J Appl Basic Med Res
2016;6:205‑10.
10. Upadhyaya P, Seth V, Sharma M, Ahmed M, Moghe VV, KhanZY,
et al. Prescribing knowledge in the light of undergraduate
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics teaching in India:
views of first‑year postgraduate students. Adv Med Educ Pract
2012;3:47‑53.
11. Alfa J, Adigwe OP. Rational use of medicines in Nigeria: A critical
review. J Biol Agric Healthc 2014;4:89‑99.
12. Ambwani S, Mathur AK. Rational drug use. Health
Adm. 2006;19:5–7.
13. Tripathi KD. Antimicrobial drugs: General considerations. In:
Essentials of Medical Pharmacology. 6th ed. New Delhi: Jayapee
Brothers; 2008. p. 667‑81.
14. Satoskar RS, Bhandarkar SD, Ainapure SS. General principles of
chemotherapy of infections. In: SatoskarRR, editor. Pharmacology
and Pharmacotherapeutics. 19th ed. Mumbai: Popular Prakashan;
1999. p. 703‑14.
15. Lampiris HW, Maddix DS. Clinical use of antimicrobial agents.
In: Katzung BG, editor. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 11th ed.
Singapore: McGraw‑Hill; 2007. p. 885‑98.16. Baldwin MJ, Abouyannis M, Butt TF. Essential therapeutics skills
required of junior doctors. Perspect Med Educ 2012;1:225‑36.
17. Tesfaye H, Berry D, Prokesova V, Allegaert K. Implementation of
clinical pharmacology course in the curriculum for pregraduate
medical students and its vital importance. Recent Res Med Med
Chem 2014;1:99‑105.
18. Bajait CS, Pimpalkhute SA, Sontakke SD, Dakhale GN, Jaiswal KM,
Urade CS. Evaluation of knowledge, attitude and practice of
rational use of medicines among clinicians in a tertiary care
teaching hospital. Int J Nutr Pharmacol Neurol Dis 2014;4:153‑7.
19. Medical Council of India Regulations on Graduate Medical
Education; 1997. Available from: http://www.mciindia.org/
Rules‑and‑Regulation/GME_REGULATIONS.pdf.[Last accessed
on 2017 Mar 10].
)