Abstract

Background:  Fixed dose combinations (FDC) is a combination product of two or more active pharmacological ingredients (API) in a single dosage form. Rational use of medicines (RUM) as defined by WHO requires that “patients receive medications appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their individual requirements, for an adequate period of time, and at the lowest cost to them and their community.” Essential medicines, a corner stone of RUM is defined as those that satisfy the health care needs of the majority of a population. Treating a particular ailment with effective, safe and good quality drugs is the basic aim of drug therapy. Irrational drug usage can lead to reduction in quality of drug therapy, increased risk of side effects and drug resistance. Hence the present study was conducted to assess the knowledge of FDCs, Concept of P drug and Essential medicine list among interns and residents.

Methods: The questionnaire based study was conducted at Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College  hospital during the month of November – December 2018. A total of 101 participants comprising of interns and residents were included in the study. The study was conducted using a questionnare about FDC, P drug concept and Essential medicine list. Data was entered in Microsoft excel and data analysis was done using SPSS.

Results: Out of the 101 participants, 80 (79.2%) were interns, 21(20.8%) were residents. Among this, 65% of participants were aware of fixed dose combinations. But 90% of them were unaware of Irrational combination of FDC’s. Only 50% participants had knowledge on essential medicine List. Also knowledge on concept of P-drugs and rational use of medicines were lacking.

Conclusion: Knowledge about FDC, essential medicine list and P drug concept about was very little among interns and residents. Hence educational interventions like Continuous Medical Education (CME) programmes should be implemented at different levels of undergraduate curricuium to improve rational prescribing among future clinicians for their Good Clinical Practice.

Keywords: Fixed dose combinations, P-drug, Interns, Essential Medicines List, Residents.