International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology
Not a member yet
3901 research outputs found
Sort by
Learner’s perspectives and outcomes of peer role play as a teaching learning method for prescription communication skills in second year medical students at a tertiary teaching hospital in India
Get PDFBackground: Medical education in India is experiencing a positive shift from traditional curriculum to competency-based medical education. Among the different initiatives, inclusion of role-play with specific aim of improving prescription communication skills in the current curriculum, could lead to beneficial patient- response outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the undergraduate medical student’s perspectives on implementing role-play for learning about prescription communication.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in the department of pharmacology involving second-year medical students of Vydehi institute of medical science and research centre participating for a month-long duration. An internally validated questionnaire was used to assess students’ perspectives on role-play in prescription communication. The outcome was evaluated based on students’ performance in prescription writing and appropriate communication before and after the role-play session. The data obtained was analysed using the SPSS software.
Results: The mean score for the overall benefit of role play for prescription communication for all responding participants (n=163) was 4.2 out of 5. In this study, 89.4% of students agreed that role-play in prescription communication should be an essential aspect of their training in the curriculum and is worth taking this additional effort. 84.6% of students found that, the sessions helped to understand and share the pharmacology concepts better. Mean pre and post role play prescription writing assessment scores in students was 7.59 and 9.01 out of 10 respectively.
Conclusions: Role-play was well received by the students as a low-cost innovative teaching methodology for better understanding of Pharmacology concepts as mandated by the CBME curriculum. It helps in understanding the importance of teamwork and error-free prescription communication for future clinical practice. Overall, following appropriate demonstration, use of role-play showed significant improvement in student performance in prescription communication
Evaluation of orphan drug therapies and associated monitoring guidelines
Get PDFOrphan drugs, designed for the treatment and prevention of rare medical conditions known as orphan diseases, are infrequently accessible due to their high costs and limited research. The prevalence of rare diseases varies across countries based on population demographics. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved over 770 drugs with 77 designations for orphan status. Some of these drugs, often discovered by the pharmaceutical industry, are both highly valuable and expensive. When using orphan drugs, specific parameters need to be monitored. Therapeutic monitoring should align with the patient's physical condition and the severity of the disease. This article aims to comprehensively examine the development of orphan drugs and their monitoring protocols
Exploring the connection: endocrine disruptors and polycystic ovarian syndrome
Get PDFPolycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is heterogeneous endocrine disorder in females manifesting reproductive dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities. Endocrinopathy in the form of hyperandrogenism leading to alteration in clinical phenotype and fertility seen. Atherogenic dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance as a result of metabolic disturbance also encountered. Recent years, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are widely studied and linked for their alleged role in the development of PCOS. EDCs like bisphenol A (BPA), Phthalate, methoxychlor and chlorpyrifos which are present in many industrial as well as daily use products poses risk of development of various diseases. This review discusses the role of EDCS specially BPA in the pathogenesis of PCOS with study of interest identified and extracted from databases like Pub Med and Google scholars using MeSH keywords. BPA has estrogenic property and binds to oestrogen receptors α and β. Stimulation of ovarian theca cells and dysregulation of steroid biosynthesis leads to androgen overproduction. It stimulates GnRH Pulse generator, decreasing the level of LH hence fertility is affected. BPA also interact with adipose tissue receptors and causes differentiation, lipid deposition and inhibition of adiponectin. Its serum and urinary levels are found to be elevated in PCOS patient. In animal studies, it is found that BPA exposure causes impaired folliculogenesis, insulin resistance and DNA methylation. EDC exposure, especially BPA which is an integral constituent of many industrial and daily use items may cause PCOS possibly by altering androgen synthesis, adipocyte stimulation and epigenetic modification
A case report on digoxin toxicity
Get PDFDigoxin is an inotropic drug that is commonly prescribed in patient with heart related diseases. The effective dose of digoxin is 0.8-2.0 ng/ml beyond which digoxin causes toxic effects like visual dysfunction, irregular heartbeat, and cardiovascular collapse. Digoxin toxicity is caused due to increased automaticity and inotropy due to intracellular calcium and decreased dromotropy due to poisoning of sodium potassium transporter and AV nodal blockade. Digoxin toxicity should be assessed by continuous hemodynamic and cardiac monitoring including 12-lead electrocardiogram. There should be timely and immediate evaluation of electrolyte levels like potassium, calcium, serum creatinine and digoxin levels and prompt intensive care unit admission, if necessary. In this case study we studied a 43 old female patient prescribed with digoxin 0.25 mg, who had a medical history of congestive cardiac failure presented with symptoms of digoxin toxicity. The patient was assessed with electrocardiography (ECG) and managed by keeping digoxin on hold and effective patient counselling
Overview of the human papilloma virus: types and its treatment
Get PDFThe human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease in the United States and one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infections (STDs) globally. Warts are cutaneous and occasionally mucous lesions brought on by HPV, with 2-20% of elementary school students getting them. There are three types of warts: non-genital warts, flat warts, and plantar warts. Non-genital warts are hyperkeratotic, exophytic, dome-shaped papules or plaques commonly associated with HPV-1, 2, 4, 27, or 57. Flat warts appear as flesh-coloured, erythematous to brown, or hyperpigmented smooth papules with a flat top and a diameter of 2 to 5 mm. Plantar warts, also known as verrucae plantaris, are cutaneous lesions on the plantar aspect of the foot that result from a human papillomavirus infection of keratinocytes (HPV).Genital warts are transmitted through sexual contact, while autoinoculation and vertical transfer do occasionally happen. After engaging in sexual activity with an infected partner, about 70% of people experience anogenital warts. Treatment for HPV includes imiquimod cream formulations, photodynamic treatment (PDT), green tea, chemical cautery, fluorouracil cream, cryotherapy, and surgical treatment. Common warts are hyperkeratotic, exophytic, dome-shaped papules or plaques commonly found in fingers, dorsal surfaces of hands, knees, or elbows. Flat warts are flesh-coloured, erythematous to brown, or hyperpigmented smooth papules with a flat top and a diameter of 2 to 5 mm. Plantar warts are unique in their location and appearance, primarily affecting high-pressure locations on the palms and soles and are uniquely linked to HPV type 1
An overview of biosimilars
Get PDFThe paradigm of pharmacological therapy in diseases is shifting from conventional small molecule drugs to biological drugs produced by living systems. Biological drugs have extensively ramified into therapies of various conditions such as autoimmune disorders, haematological conditions, cancers and others. Biological drugs are currently the diamond mine of the pharmaceutical drug market. Due to the enormous market value, other pharmaceutical companies are keen in producing and marketing generic versions of these innovator (reference) biologic companies, once the patents start to expire. These generic versions of the biological drugs are called as biosimilars. However, biosimilars are not exactly generics of the originator biological drugs like in the case of conventional small molecule drugs. Various controversies and perplexities exist in their production, approval, marketing, and prescription. The reason for the mere existence of biosimilars or generics drugs for that matter is their reduced cost with preserved clinical effectiveness. Biosimilar drugs are subject to rigorous scrutiny by a thorough comparative evaluation with the reference biological product for marketing approval. It is also equally important for the physicians and pharmacists to have a sound body of knowledge about biosimilar drugs to optimally avail the benefits offered by them. This review highlights how biosimilar drugs differ from the conventional drugs, their development process, issues, and challenges associated with their use
Evaluation of knowledge, attitude and practices of second year MBBS students about over the counter drugs
Get PDFBackground: The utilization of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs among medical students during academic exams has raised concerns about health risks and potential implications. This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of OTC drug utilization among medical students.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using pre-validated questionnaire. The data obtained was tabulated, analysed and the results were calculated in percentages.150 students had participated in this study of which 100 were selected by simple random sampling.
Results: The use of OTC drugs was common amongst undergraduate students. Majority of students (92%) who participated in the study had used OTC drugs at some point in their life. Commonly used OTCs were antacids (73%) and the most common indications for use of OTCs was cough and cold (92%). 87% of students preferred OTC drugs due to ease and convenience while 44% preferred OTC drugs due to lack of time to consult the doctor. Doctors (32.3%) followed by family and friends; textbook/journals were found to be the most common source of information on OTC drugs.
Conclusions: A tendency to choose self-medication over doctor’s consultation by most of the undergraduate medical students was consistently seen in the present study. This unrestrained use of OTC drugs certainly possesses several health risks. Awareness should be created among undergraduate medical students to restrict the use of OTC drugs and efforts should be undertaken to increase the sale of drugs without prescription
A rare case of retinal migraine
Get PDFRetinal migraine (ophthalmic migraine, ocular migraine, anterior visual pathway migraine) is a rarely encountered medical condition, but with an interesting and complex clinical presentation. Retinal migraine is defined as repeated attacks of monocular visual disturbance including scintillations, scotoma or blindness associated with migraine headache. they can occur at the same time as migraine, headache and are sometimes seen in a patient with a prior history of migraine. They occur because of hypoperfusion of either the eye or the optic nerve. This is a different entity to typical migraine with aura, which involves the cerebral cortex and is associated with binocular visual phenomena. Here I am reporting a case of retinal migraine in a 22 years old female patient from the OPD of Department of Neurology, Patna medical College and Hospital, Patna
CefixView: understanding trends in respiratory infections
Get PDFBackground: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are one of the most common infections in humans of all age groups and an important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. It can be classified as either acute or chronic. The bacterial species most commonly implicated in RTIs are Streptococcus pneumoniae, β-hemolytic Streptococci, Hemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. Cefixime, a third-generation cephalosporin, is a bactericidal β-lactam antibiotic used to treat various bacterial infections. It is broad-spectrum and effective against gram-positive as well as gram-negative bacteria.
The primary objective is to understand the preferences, considerations, and clinical perspectives that influence the choice of cefixime among healthcare professionals, particularly in the management of RTIs.
Methods: It was a descriptive questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. The study was conducted among the physicians who attended the APICON-2024 and gave consent to participate in the study. A total 247 physicians registered their responses.
Results: Cefixime is preferred in indications like UTI, pharyngitis, Otitis media, typhoid fever, LRTIs, shigellosis, and dental infections. All the doctors (100%) use cefixime for the treatment of RTIs with varied frequency. The primary factor which influences the choice of cefixime for the management of RTIs is the broad-spectrum activity (46.75%) followed by a better safety profile (27.87%) and cost-effectiveness (15.08%). Overall, 92.73% of doctors view cefixime as a safe and reliable choice for the management of RTIs.
Conclusions: Cefixime has excellent tolerability and efficacy and is one of the most widely used drug in the treatment of respiratory infections
Physician perspectives on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: a comprehensive survey on usage and preferences
Get PDFBackground: Physician’s choices of NSAIDs are shaped by efficacy, safety, patient factors, and clinical context, impacting policies and patient outcomes. This survey aimed to explore NSAID use in acute painful conditions, focusing on healthcare professionals' preferences.
Methods: A descriptive, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,028 physicians at APICON-2024.
Results: The survey found that 57.4% of respondents were consultants and 33.4% were general physicians. Most practiced independently (55.6%) or in hospitals (35.5% in government and 7.9% in corporate hospitals). Over 75% frequently prescribed NSAIDs, with diclofenac being the most common (54.8%). NSAIDs were typically prescribed for one week (72.6%) and used mainly for low back pain (77.5%), joint pain, migraine, and post-surgical pain. Safety concerns included gastrointestinal (72.4%), renal (59.3%), and hepatic issues. Over 68% viewed nimesulide as safer for the gastrointestinal and renal systems than other NSAIDs, though opinions varied. More than 90% of physicians also prescribed NSAIDs with paracetamol.
Conclusions: The survey offers insights into NSAID use among Indian physicians, with frequent use for pain management, especially for low back and joint pain. Diclofenac is the most prescribed, with a typical duration of one week. Safety concerns remain significant, particularly regarding nimesulide. The findings highlight diverse practices and ongoing safety considerations in NSAID use