Educational sessions on assessing rationality of prescriptions: Student feedback

Authors

  • P.R. Shankar Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal
  • A. K. Dubey Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal
  • D. K. Upadhyay Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal
  • P. Subish Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal
  • M.C. Alwar Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal

Keywords:

Pharmacology teaching, rationality of prescriptions, rational use of medicines, student attitudes

Abstract

Introduction: Sessions on rational use of medicines are being conducted at the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal. Recently, sessions on analyzing rationality of prescriptions have been introduced. The present study was carried out to obtain information on the attitudes of preclinical medical students towards the sessions and note association, if any, of the attitudes with the respondents’ characteristics.

Methods: Student feedback was collected using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The student attitudes were measured using a modified Likert-type scale. The median total score was calculated and association was determined using appropriate statistical tests.

Results: The overall response rate was 73.5% (164 of the 223 students). Indians and Nepalese were the common nationalities and majority of respondents were urban and self-financing. No association was observed of the score with demographic characteristics.

Conclusion: The overall student response was positive and the sessions should be continued and strengthened.

References

Akici, A., Goren, M. Z., Avpak, C., Terzioglu, B., & Oktay, S. (2005). Prescription audit adjunct to rational pharmacotherapy education improves prescribing skills of medical students. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 61, 643–650.

Barakzai, Q. (2004). Transition from traditional to innovative teaching in and beyond pharmacology at Ziauddin medical school. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, 25, 1220–1232.

De Vries, T. P. G. M., Henning, R. H., Hogerzeil, H. V., & Fresle, D. A. (1994). Guide to good prescribing, WHO Action Programme on Essential Drugs, Geneva.

Dunaway, G. A. (2005). Adoption of team learning to an introductory graduate pharmacology course. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 17, 56–62.

Enoglu, L., & Uresin, Y. (2003). A model of pharmacology education: The experience of Istanbul medical faculty. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 43, 237–242.

Flockhart, D. A., Yasuda, S. U., Pezullo, J. C., & Knollmann, B. C. (2002). Teaching rational prescribing: A new clinical pharma- cology curriculum for medical schools. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology, 366, 33–43.

Hogerzeil, H. V. (1995). Promoting rational prescribing: An international perspective. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 39, 1–6.

Hogerzeil, H. V., Barnes, K. I., Henning, R. H., Kocabasoglu, Y. E., Moller, H., Smith, A. J., Summer, R. S., & de Vries, T. P. G. M. (2001). Teacher’s guide to good prescribing. Geneva: World Health Organization.

Joshi, M. P., & Jayawickramarajah, P. T. (1996). A problem-oriented pharmacology package for undergraduate medical students. Medical Teacher, 18, 75–76.

Karaalp, A., Akici, A., Kocabasoglu, Y. E., & Oktay, S. (2003). What do graduates think about a two-week rational pharma- cotherapy course in the fifth year of medical education? Medical Teacher, 25, 515–521.

Kathmandu University. (2001). Curriculum for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). Part one- basic medical sciences. Third version. Nepal: Dhulikhel.

Laing, R. O., Hogerzeil, H. V., & Ross-Degnan, D. (2001). Ten recommendations to improve use of medicines in developing countries. Health Policy and Planning, 16, 13–20.

Management Sciences for Health. (1997). Managing drug supply. West Hartford, Connecticut, USA: Kumarian Press.

Maxwell, S., & Walley, T. (2003). Teaching safe and effective prescribing in UK medical schools: A core curriculum for tomorrow’s doctors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 55, 496 – 503.

Shakib, S., & George, A. (2003). Prescribing: What’s all the fuss? Australian Family Physician, 32, 35–38.

Shankar, P. R., Mishra, P., Shenoy, N., & Partha, P. (2003). Importance of transferable skills in pharmacology. Pharmacy Education, 3, 97–101.

Shankar, P. R., Dubey, A. K., Mishra, P., Upadhyay, D., Subish, P., & Deshpande, V. Y. (2004). Student feedback on problem stimulated learning in pharmacology: A questionnaire based study. Pharmacy Education, 4, 51–56.

Tisonova, J., Hudec, R., Szalayova, A., Bozekova, L., Wawruch, M., Lassanova, M., Vojtko, R., Jezova, D., Kristova, V., & Kriska, M. (2005). Experience with problem oriented teaching in pharma- cology. Bratislavske Lekarske Listy, 106, 83–87.

Tofovic, S. P., Branch, R. A., Jackson, E. K., Cressman, M. D., & Kost, C. K., Jr. (1998). Teaching clinical pharmacology and therapeutics: Selective for fourth-year medical students. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 38, 670–679.

Downloads

Published

04-05-2006

How to Cite

Shankar, P., Dubey, A. K., Upadhyay, D. K., Subish, P., & Alwar, M. (2006). Educational sessions on assessing rationality of prescriptions: Student feedback. Pharmacy Education, 6(3). Retrieved from https://pharmacyeducation.fip.org/pharmacyeducation/article/view/84

Issue

Section

Research Article