| RESEARCH ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2010 | Volume
: 42
| Issue : 3 | Page : 150-152 |
Attitude and opinion towards essential medicine formulary
Sangeeta Sharma1, Reeta Kh2, R Roy Chaudhury3
1 Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi, India
2 Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India
3 Patron, Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs, Delhi, India
Correspondence Address:
Sangeeta Sharma
Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0253-7613.66837
Objective : The Delhi State Drug Policy was adopted in 1994 following which the first Essential Medicines List (EML) was developed in 1996. The Delhi State Essential Medicines Formulary was brought out in 1997. A need was felt to revise the formulary to match with the EML as the EML is renewed every 2 years.
Materials and Methods : A survey was undertaken to elicit the opinions of the doctors practicing in the state on the usefulness of the formulary before revising and printing the updated version. The survey covered dispensaries, 10-20 bedded hospitals, 100-bedded hospitals and two tertiary care hospitals. Discussions were focused on questionnaires on attitudes toward adopting Essential Medicines Formulary using a 10-point scale.
Results : Of the 200 doctors approached, only 90 doctors completed the questionnaire. Sixty-nine respondents (76.6%) had received the copy of the formulary. Most practitioners welcomed the formulary and were satisfied with the coverage and selection of the medicines. Most respondents (76.9%) agreed that a well-developed formulary would improve the quality of the public health care system, although they had reservations about the authority, relevance and effect on professional autonomy.
Conclusion : About 74% of the respondents used the formulary in clinical practice as a source of medicine information, which makes its regular revision necessary.
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