STUDY TO EVALUATE PRESCRIPTION PATTERNS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMMON ALLOPATHIC DRUGS AMONG UNQUALIFIED RURAL MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS

Abstract

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prescription patterns and knowledge about common allopathic drugs among the unqualified rural medical practitioners in Pinjore block of Panchkula district, Haryana

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 19 items Questionnaire was prepared in Hindi and validated by conducting a small pilot study. Rural medical practitioners were interviewed to fill the same 

RESULTS: 23.3% practitioners had some medical related training. 43.7% respondents attended 15-30 patients, 23.3% attended to 30-50 and 4% to 50-75 patients every day. Only 10.7% issued prescription slips to the patients. All but two rural health practitioners dispensed medicines. 96% were dispensing allopathic drugs. Most common drugs used were analgesics (80%) and antibiotics (15.5%). Paracetamol was the most commonly used analgesic (49.5%). Only 55% answered correctly the precautions for analgesic use.  Nearly half had heard the term antibiotic resistance, only 7% could tell steps to prevent antibiotic resistance correctly. 25% respondents agreed giving steroids to >25% patients. Only 20% could answer correctly the important adverse effects of steroids.

CONCLUSION: Illegal use of prescription only drugs without adequate knowledge is very common among unqualified rural medical practitioners, which could be an important contributor to antibiotic resistance and other drug related adverse events in the general population

KEY WORDS: Unqualified, Rural, Medical practitioners, Analgesics, Antibiotics, Steroids