Tutor, Department of Pharmacology , GIMS, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India.

Head & Professor, Department of Pharmacology , GIMS, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India.

Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology , GIMS, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India.
Fixed Dose Combinations ,Knowledge ,attitude and practice ,

Background: Fixed dose combinations (FDC) are most commonly prescribed drugs now a days. A fixed dose combination (FDC) comprises of two or more active drugs in a single dosage. Even though they have many advantages like improved patient compliance and convenience, improper prescription of these can lead to irrational prescriptions which affect the economy of patient and society. The objective of our study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice of fixed dose combinations among doctors working in a Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalaburagi. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a pretested questionnaire in a tertiary care teaching hospital of Gulbarga. The questionnaire containing 26 questions about FDCs was designed to assess the knowledge , attitude and practice among the doctors working in Departments of Medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, pediatrics, skin and psychiatry etc,. Data were analyzed with suitable statistical tests. Results: Analysis of current study shows that doctors working in this institution were well aware of advantages and disadvantages of FDCs. They were also having quite good knowledge about FDCs included in WHO Essential Medicine List. Out of 85 doctors only 45 doctors were having knowledge of recently banned FDCs. Majority of doctors have shown positive attitude towards superiority of FDCs. The current study has shown that antibiotics and NSAIDs were most commonly prescribed drugs in the form of FDCs. Conclusion: Sensitization toward authentic sources of information such as EML, education programs about FDCs as well as day-to-day updates regarding banned FDCs is quite necessary to promote the rational use of drugs

11 , 1 , 2021