Background: A fixed dose combination (FDC) comprises of two or more active drugs in a single dosage. The trend of prescribing FDCs is increasing in clinical practice. However, irrational prescribing of FDCs is a major health concern. The knowledge about FDCs is important for doctors as a large number of FDCs are being manufactured and marketed every year.
Aims and Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding the use of FDCs by doctors at a tertiary care teaching hospital.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a pretested questionnaire in a tertiary care teaching hospital of Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir). The questionnaire was designed to assess the KAP about FDCs. The doctors working in this institution during the study period from the Departments of Medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, pediatrics, skin and psychiatry, who gave their informed consent, were included in the study. Data were analyzed with suitable statistical tests.
Results: In the present study, it was observed that the doctors were not aware about all of the advantages and disadvantages of FDCs. Out of the 74 doctors, the knowledge regarding the WHO essential medicine list (EML) was 82.4%. However, knowledge about the rationality of given FDCs was lacking in 53% of the doctors. The common sources of information were textbooks and journals. A majority of residents (73%) agreed that FDCs should be allowed to be marketed. The doctors opined that most commonly prescribed FDCs were of antimicrobial drugs, among which amoxicillin + clavulanic acid was the most frequent.
Conclusion: There is a need to improve knowledge about rationality, EML, usage, and banned FDCs among doctors to promote the rational use of drugs.
Key words: Essential Medicine List; Fixed Dose Combinations; Knowledge; Attitude and Practice; Doctors
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