title: Prescription of fixed dose combination drugs for diarrhoea.
abstract: Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of an antiprotozoal and an antibacterial, for treatment of diarrhoea, have been available in the Indian pharmaceutical market for about a decade. There is little evidence to substantiate this combination therapy. We evaluated 2,163 physician prescriptions for diarrhoea and found that 59 per cent of prescriptions were for FDCs. This is unethical because prescribing such combinations exposes a patient to higher risks of adverse drug reactions and also increases the chances of drug resistance. Physicians' prescribing practices in India are influenced by socioeconomic factors and the pharmaceutical industry's marketing techniques that include giving incentives to physicians to prescribe certain drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of pharmacology, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Fifth Mile, Tadong, Gangtok 737 102, Sikkim, India. amitchakrabarti@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D016527:Drug Costs; D004345:Drug Industry; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008389:Marketing of Health Services; D008485:Medical Audit; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009643:Norfloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018579:Patient Selection / Q000941:ethics; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000941:ethics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014011:Tinidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D014011:Tinidazole; D008795:Metronidazole; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D009643:Norfloxacin; C016724:secnidazole