Indian Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology

168-171

Authors: M. Shanmuga Priyan, B. Maharani, A. Lourdu Jafrin, Vijay K. Chavada, G. Sivagnanam.

Introduction: Improper self-medication of Over the Counter (OTC) drugs and /or drugs from earlier prescription may result in adverse drug reactions and /or serious drug interactions with co-administered alternate system of drugs. Information on self-medication practices, the factors influencing such practices and incidence of ADRs associated with self-medication among the residents of Puducherry is not available. Aim: To study the prevalence of self-medication among the residents of Puducherry and to determine the factors that influences the pattern of self-medication. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire based study, was carried out using a pretested validated questionnaire on self-medication practices on a randomly selected population of adult residents of Puducherry. Results: Among the 380 participants who responded by answering to the questionnaire, 34.5% were males and 65.5% were females. Mean age of the respondents was 36.4±11.7 yrs. approximately 59.5% of the respondents self-medicated with allopathic drugs. The frequency of self-medication by the respondents ranged from once (31.3%) to more than 5 times (11.1%) in the past six months recall period. Statistically significant association was found between occupation and self-medication (p<0.01). The commonest symptoms for which the respondents self-medicated were headache and fever (60.2 and 42.0% respectively). Most common drugs consumed by self-medication were NSAIDs (63.71%) in which paracetamol contributed to 43.36% followed by anti-histaminics (28.31%). Private pharmacy (89.8%) was the major source of drugs for self-medication followed by left over drugs in the home (5.3%). Simpler nature of the disease was the reason given by 66.4% of the self-medicated individuals. A side effect with self-medication was experienced by 11.9% of the respondents. Alternate system of medicine was used by 24.3% respondents with self-medication. Pharmaceutical expiry date was always checked by 87.2% of the respondents. Conclusion: Self-medication prevalence in the community surveyed is moderately high. Joint efforts by the health careers including community pharmacists to educate the ill effect of self-medication among general public can help in reducing the practice of self-medication and betterment of the society.

176-183

Authors: Dharani Devangi, Shashirekha C.H, Shruthi S L.

Introduction: To evaluate the price variation of various brands of antiasthmatic drugs available in single and in combination. Materials and Methods: An observational study was carriedoutusing ‘CIMS’ &‘IDR’ (July-Oct 2016), where in the difference in the maximum and minimum price of a particular drug beingmanufactured by differentpharmaceutical companies, in the same strength, number and dosage formwas compared and the percentage variation in price was calculated. Data is analysed using descriptive statistical formula. Results: In single drug therapy, among bronchodilator, β2 sympathomimetic: salbutamol (4mg) andsalbutamol (20µg) shows maximum and minimum price variation of 333.5% and1.47%. Among Leukotriene antagonists, montelukast (5mg tab) shows maximum of 185% and minimum of 0.539% as chewable tablet. Mast cell stabilizer ketotifen (1mg) shows maximum of 195.23% and minimum 142.307% as syrup. Among systemic corticosteroids methylprednisolone showed maximum and minimum of 701.01% and 4.16% 4mg and 2mg dosages. Inhalational steroids budesonide (0.5mg/ml) shows maximum of 486.5% and fluticasone propionate (50µg) shows minimum of 0.41%. In combination therapy salbutamol with theophylline shows a maximum of 900% and terbutaline, ambroxol hydrochloride with guaiphenesin shows minimum of 0.71% while Inhalational steroids maximum of 80.06% with fluticasone(100µg), formoterol fumarate(6µg) combination and minimum of 0.37% with budesonide(40µg) and formoterol fumarate(6µg). Conclusion: The percentage price variation of different brands of the same drug and dosage manufactured in India for treatment of bronchial asthma is substantially wide. The pricing should be considered in view of better compliance. The clinicians should be aware of these price variations to reduce the economic burden of drug therapy.

188-191

Authors: Rajeshwari, Nagarajaiah B.H, Thamanna P.S, Drupad H.S

Introduction: Aim of our study was to observe and analyse the prescribing pattern of drugs in hospitalised patients of paediatric department. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted over a period of one year, after getting approval from Institutional Ethics committee. A specially designed proforma was used to collect the data from inpatients of paediatric ward of a tertiary care hospital. Inpatients with age group of 0 – 14 years were included in the study. Results: Out of 1050 patients, 471 were below the age group of one year, 220 patients were between 1-5 years and 359 patients were above the age of 5 years. The percentage of patients with antibiotic prescribed was 92.1%. Among the antibiotics, amikacin (483) was most commonly prescribed followed by cefotaxime (414) and ceftriaxone (301). Paracetamol was used as analgesic and antipyretic (45.5%) in the majority of the patients. The average number of drugs prescribed per patient was 5.7. In the majority of patients parenteral formulations were used either in the form of antibiotics or IV fluids (98.2%). Out of 96 different drugs, 57 (59.3%) drugs were prescribed by generic name. About 58.3% of drugs were prescribed from Essential Medicines WHO Model List (2015). Conclusion: Drug utilization studies are powerful exploratory tools to ascertain the role of drugs in society and create sound socio-medical and health economic basis for health care decision making. Continuous medical education with a focus on rational drug use and evidence based medicine should form part of the program in the hospital.

198-202

Authors: K. Srikanth Kumar, A. Lakshmana Rao, A. Prameela Rani, G.N.V. Mounika, J. Sri Ramya

2-aryl substituted benzimidazole derivatives were synthesized by using various aromatic aldehydes contains electron releasing as well as electron withdrawing groups, o-phenylenediamine and aluminium chloride as a catalyst via one-pot reaction by use of water as ecological solvent. This route provides an ecological, uncomplicated develops and give compounds in high yield. The synthesized 2-aryl substituted benzimidazole derivatives were characterized by physical (molecular weight, molecular formula, melting point, recrystallization, Rf value) and spectral data (IR and (1)H-NMR). All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in-vitro antibacterial activity against few gram-positive and few gram-negative microorganisms.

207-209

Authors: Vatsala Maheshwari, Pali Rastogi, Pooja Solanki Mishra.

Objective: To monitor and analyze the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in outpatient department of mental hospital of a tertiary care teaching institute of central India. To assess the causality between drug and adverse reaction using WHO-UMC scale. Method: A total of 209 adverse drug reactions were recorded in ICSR form obtained from CDSCO website in a period of 6 month from December 2016 to May 2017 in outpatient –department of mental hospital. Causality was assessed according to WHO-UMC causality scale. Result and Conclusion: Among 209 ADRs recorded 2 ADRs were excluded from further analysis because these were belonging to unlikely category of WHO-UMC causality scale. In this analysis 48.32% ADRs were certain, 32.05% ADRs were probable and 18.66% ADRs were possible. In this analysis 57% cases of ADRs were belonging to male while 43% cases were belonging to female .The maximum ADRs were reported in 21-30 years of age group (35.2%) followed by 31-40 years of age group (27%). The antipsychotics were responsible for maximum ADRs (71.02%), antidepressants were causing 12.07% of ADRs, antiepileptic were causing 14.5% of ADRs, ant manic drugs (lithium) were responsible for 2.4% cases of ADRs. CNS is most commonly affected system (44.92%), followed by metabolic side effects (37.68%).Olanzapine was the most common offending drug and weight gain was the commonest adverse drug reaction.