creators_name: Hettihewa, LM
creators_name: Jayarathna, KAKT
creators_id: menik@med.ruh.ac.lk
editors_name: Kakkilaya, Srinivas
editors_id: Kakkilaya BS
type: journale
datestamp: 2010-11-22 14:19:53
lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:57:48
metadata_visibility: show
title: Comparison of the Knowledge in Core Policies of Essential Drug List Among Medical Practitioners and Medical Students in Galle, Sri Lanka
ispublished: pub
subjects: OJHAS
full_text_status: public
keywords: Rational use of medicine; Essential drug list; Core policies; Medical practitioners; Medical students
abstract: Selection of the best and safest medicine should be one of the national economic policies in a country for good health care services. Introduction of detailed module in rational use of medicine (RUM) to pharmacology syllabus needed prior analysis of the existing knowledge among health care workers. Therefore we assessed the knowledge and attitudes of essential drug list (EDL) on medical practitioners (MPs) and medical students (MSs). Forty two MPs and 120 MSs from hospital and Faculty of Medicine were given a pretested structured questionnaire related to core policies of EDL, contents, criteria for selection and time frame for revision in RUM. Our study showed that only 29% of MPs were confident about their knowledge in EDL and 17% of them had marked it as don’t know. Study was expanded for quantitative analysis of the knowledge on the core policies of EDL on them. Knowledge on contents, criteria for selection and the time frame for revision of EDL were 63%, 83% and 17% in MPs. Of MSs, 87%  had sound knowledge in core contents, 32% in criteria for selection and only 50% of MSs were aware about the correct time frame of revision of EDL. Knowledge in contents of EDL was higher in MSs (87%) than MPs(63&). MPs were not aware about EDL preparing criteria such as inclusion of generic names, common ailment, majority ailments of the people (59%, 56% and 56% respectively). In contrast, MSs had > 93% of the knowledge in all three areas. However MSs had poorer knowledge (32%) in criteria for selection of EDL than MPs (83%). Knowledge in time frame for revision of EDL was 17% in MPs and 50% in MSs. We found that MPs in the service were not convinced about their knowledge in EDL. Deficiency was significant in the core contents of the EDL preparation. Therefore we suggest that MPs need repetitive in-service training programme for practicing of RUM in the national health facilities. We need to reiterative programme in the core curriculum regarding the criteria for EDL selection. Though MSs had good knowledge in content of EDL, they are poor in criteria for selection and time frame for revision.
date: 2010-10-15
date_type: published
publication: Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences
volume: 9
number: 3
publisher: Dr. B.S. Kakkilaya
refereed: TRUE
referencetext: 1.	Aronson JK, Henderson G, Webb DJ, Rawlins MD. A prescription for better prescribing. BMJ 2006;333:459-60.
2.	Introduction to drug research by WHO 2003: Types of drug use information. pp 13-19
3.	Orme M, Forlich J, Vrhovac B. Towards a core curriculum in clinical pharmacology for undergraduate medical students in Europe. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2002;58:635-640.
4.	The selection of essential drugs – report of a WHO expert committee technical report series 615 
5.	The role of education in the rational use of medicine by WHO regional office for south east Asia 2006. pp 21-24
6.	WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. 16th edition. 2009. World Health Organization.
citation:   Hettihewa, LM and Jayarathna, KAKT  (2010) Comparison of the Knowledge in Core Policies of Essential Drug List Among Medical Practitioners and Medical Students in Galle, Sri Lanka.  [Journal (On-line/Unpaginated)]     
document_url: http://cogprints.org/7111/1/2010-3-7.pdf