Indian Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology

44-48

Authors: Anshu Gupta

Communication skill is one of the six required competencies by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). They can have a better outcome if practiced than just preached. Role plays are widely used as an educational method of learning communication skills in medical students. This paper studies the student’s perspective of role-plays as a teachinglearning strategy and how role-plays helpful in developing communication skills. Methodology: Fourth semester undergraduate medical students participated in a role-play sessions in endocrine pharmacology classes. Before and after the session, students completed questionnaires. In the pre-session questionnaire, students were asked about their previous experiences of role-play as teaching learning tool. Immediately after the session, students provided reflections and answered questions in relation to the role-play activity as a teaching learning method and development of communication skills. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. Results: 127 students completed pre evaluation forms and 124 completed the post evaluation forms. Most students (n = 112; 90.3%) supported role plays to be conducted in class. Students considered role-plays as a feasible way of learning (81.2%). Ninety one(73.4%) agreed that they helped in improving the communication skills. Improvement in communication with the teacher and the peers was identified as an advantage of role-plays by 66 of the participants (53.2%). Students were of the view that the communication skill development should be started in early years of MBBS. Conclusion: Role-play was valued by students in the acquisition of communication skills during pharmacology classes which will be of help in real settings.

52-58

Authors: Bhanu Prakash Kolasani, Divyashanthi CM, Raghunatha Rao Ponnaluri, Prasanand Sasidharan, Sri Venkate

Background: The trends of prescribing drugs in patients of psoriasis with an emphasis on WHO core prescribing indicators have never been studied previously in India. Hence the present study was planned to analyse the prescribing pattern of drugs and WHO core prescribing indicators among inpatients of psoriasis in dermatology department of our institute. Methods: An observational prospective study was conducted in 75 inpatients of psoriasis pregnant women for a period one year. Each prescription was analyzed for patient’s demographic variables, type of psoriasis, total number of drugs prescribed, various categories of drugs prescribed, percentage of individual drugs in each class, World Health Organization (WHO) core prescribing indicators and percentage of drugs prescribed by their dosage forms. Statistical analysis was primarily descriptive with values mainly expressed as percentages and absolute numbers. Result: Majority of the patients belonged to 30-40 age group and the most common type was plaque psoriasis (57.33%). Overall 317 medications were prescribed to a total of 75 patients among which antioxidant, vitamin and mineral preparations (32.40%) were the most commonly prescribed category followed by antihistamines (13.13%) and topical corticosteroids (12.57%). Methotrexate (4.19%) was the only immunosuppressant drug prescribed. Average number of drugs per prescription was 4.23%. Percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name was 36.91%. Percentage of encounters with antibiotic prescribed was 6.31% whereas injection prescribed was 1.89%. Percentage of drugs prescribed from National list of essential medicines (NLEM) was 59.10%. Tablet (57.14%) was the most commonly prescribed dosage form. Conclusion: The study reveals inappropriately higher usage of multivitamin preparations, higher prevalence of polypharmacy and relatively under usage of topical antibiotics and emollient preparations. Measures to facilitate and encourage rational prescribing of drugs in psoriasis among the students and prescribers must be undertaken in order to derive the optimum benefit with least adverse effects.

63-68

Authors: Mounika K, Lakshmana Rao A

A simple, rapid, accurate and precise isocratic reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of Bromhexine and Erythromycin in tablet dosage forms. The chromatographic separation was carried out on Hypersil BDS C18 column (150 mm x 4.6 mm I.D., 5 µm particle size) with a mixture of 0.01N phosphate buffer and acetonitrile in the ratio of 35:65 v/v as a mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. UV detection was performed at 224 nm. The retention times were 4.619 minutes and 2.329 minutes for Bromhexine and Erythromycin respectively. Calibration plots were linear (r2=0.999 for both Bromhexine and Erythromycin respectively) over the concentration range of 2-12 µg/mL for Bromhexine and 62.5-375 µg/mL for Erythromycin. The method was validated for linearity, precision, accuracy and robustness. The proposed method was successfully used for simultaneous estimation of Bromhexine and Erythromycin in tablet dosage forms. Validation studies revealed that the proposed method is specific, rapid, reliable and reproducible. The high % recovery and low % RSD values confirm the suitability of the proposed method for routine quality control analysis of Bromhexine and Erythromycin in bulk and tablet dosage forms.

73-74

Authors: Avanthi E, Pradeep Kumar L, Lokesh BN, Yadavalli Guruprasad

Objective: To evaluate the antidepressant activity of Rosuvastatin in male albino mice. Method: Thirty male swiss albino mice were selected for forced swim test model. There were five groups and each group had six animals. The control group received Normal saline (10ml/kg I.P), the standard Imipramine (10mg/kg I.P), the 3 test group received Rosuvastatin (10mg/kg, 15mg/kg, 20mg/kg I.P) respectively. The test was conducted 30mins after injecting the drugs by forced swim test model. Duration of immobility was noted. Statistical analysis was performed using Mean +/- SEM. One way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test was done P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Rosuvastatin produced significant antidepressant effect at all the doses, as indicated by reduction in the duration of immobility compared to the control and standard with significant p value of <0.0001. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicates the antidepressant like activity of Rosuvastatin in male albino mice.

79-83

Authors: Seema Rani, Sanjeev Kumar, Joyti, Prem Kumar Vaerma, Dharvin Lamba, Rahul Saini

Background & Objectives: Eperisone hydrochloride is a new drug came in market with centrally acting muscle relaxant, having additional vasodilator effect and used for treatment of backache associated with muscle stiffness like thiocolchicoside but supposed to be slightly better in efficacy and adverse effect profile. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of eperisone with thiocolchicoside in patients with acute lower backache associated with muscle spasm. Methods: 100 eligible subjects were taken and assessment of severity of pain and muscle spasm was done by using Visual Analogue Scale, finger-to-floor distance (FFD), Lasegue’s maneuver and modified Schober’s test. Results: No statistically significant difference in pain relief and muscle spasm among both the treatment groups but clinically pain relief is slightly better in eperisone group. The adverse drug reactions occurring during study showed a slightly better safety profile in patients on eperisone than on thiocolchicoside. Conclusion: These findings confirm that eperisone represents a valuable and safer alternative to thiocolchicoside for treatment of low back pain associated with muscle spasm

88-94

Authors: Shabbir Rafik Pendhari, Kedar Shashikant Joshi, Ramchandra Prabhakar Limaye

Background: In 2006 PPI was the third most frequently prescribed drug in Australia. In United States, UK and New Zealand similar trends were observed. Utilization of proton pump inhibitors is increasing continuously. Differential drug utilization of PPIs are observed along with NSAIDs with antibiotics, Utilization of PPI alone is less, and some newer adverse drugs reactions are being reported, so we planned a study to find out the actual burden of PPI in our area. Methods: 50 registered pharmacies were selected. Then data collection was done after consent of patient or relative having PPI containing prescription and photos of prescription were taken, without any personally identifiable information of patient or physician. Results: 1466 prescription containing PPI were obtained during study. (69.85%) prescriptions were containing NSAIDs along with the PPI. while 55% AMA were used by the physician during the study period. PPI is preferred and prescribed as gastroprotective agents alone or along with antimicrobials and NSAIDs, thus they will reduce the gastrointestinal adverse effects, of concomitant drugs. Conclusion: 45.05% burden of PPI is there in study area observed. PPI are mostly used along with NSAIDs and/or AMA, for their ability to produce gastro protective effect. But their contribution towards adverse effect is to be evaluated.