H. Doddayya

In India the clinical pharmacy services are yet at the infancy stage, very few private hospitals were adopted this system while these services are totally scarce in government hospitals. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the role and importance of clinical pharmacist and to assess the clinical pharmacy services provided. A Prospective analysis of the documented clinical pharmacy services performed by Pharm D interns were assessed for a period of 6 months. A total of 334 past medication history interviews, 333 patient counseling, 325 prescription auditing, 302 drug interactions, 55 medication errors and 23 Drug information queries were provided. Among 272 drug-drug interactions, 60.66% moderate drug-drug interactions and a least of 8.08% major drug-drug interactions and most common management plan recommended was dose adjust­ments (23.52%). Majority of the patients were counseled regarding the name and purpose of the prescribed medicines (96.39 %) and 34.83% reported barriers during their counseling. Among Past medication history interviews, 32.63% of patients had a history of medication intake. 59.38% of prescriptions were not prescribed drugs in their generic names. Maximum number of injections prescribed per prescription was three (20%), antibiotics per prescription were one (44.3%) and 91% of drugs were prescribed from the essential drug list. Of 55 prescribing errors reported majority of errors were belonging to category A (72.72%). It was found that 65.21% queries were to update the requestor’s knowledge and 52.71% used primary sources to respond the queries. The study stresses impeccable role of clinical pharmacist in patient’s care.

Rheumatic heart disease is chronic condition resulting from rheumatic fever which involves all the layers of the heart and is characterized by scarring and deformity of the heart valves. Around 60% of the acute rheumatic fever further develops in to rheumatic heart disease. Sore throat with fever, carditis, Erythema marginatum, polyarthritis are the main manifestations. Aggressive treatment with antibiotics and use of analgesics can cure the disease up to certain extent. Awareness of clinicians regarding diagnosis and accurate treatment can reduce the cardiac burden. Keywords: Rheumatic heart disease, Erythema

Respiratory diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children especially among children less than five years old. To study the prescribing pattern and assess caregiver’s perception about pediatric respiratory disease therapy by using questionnaires. A prospective observational study was carried out for a total of 225 cases of inpatients in pediatric department and caregivers were assessed regarding pediatric respiratory disease therapy by questionnaires. We observed that Majority of the pediatric patients were diagnosed with LRTI 95(42.2%), followed by ARI 60(26.7%), URTI 36(16.0%), Fever and cough 15(6.8%) Pneumonia 11(4.9%), Asthma 3(1.3%), Bronchiolitis and Chronic cough 02(0.8%). Most of the drugs prescribed were Bronchodilators (36.5%). Among Bronchodilators SABA 258(81.6%) were prescribed more in number in which salbutamol were prescribed more (77.5%). Majority of the antibiotics prescribed were Cephalosporin’s (58.8%), and among Corticosteroid’s Budesonide were prescribed more i.e. (26.32%). Most of the caregivers given formulation preference towards nebulization i.e. (61.4%). Almost (44.5%) of caregivers felt that usage of the nebulizers was easy. Out of 225 caregivers about 88% of the caregivers were satisfied with their child’s treatment. Educational interventions must be implemented for health care professionals for more appropriate and cost effective prescribing. A separate parent education program also should be conducted to bring awareness regarding respiratory disease in parents/ caregivers. This will ensure rational use of drugs in pediatric Respiratory diseases and there by improve quality of life.