Authors’ response

Sir,

We thank the authors of this letter to Editor¹ for their interest in our article. This study was an attempt to evaluate the prescriptions for adherence to standard treatment guidelines, and we found deviations. The setting chosen was all rational use of medicine centers and preferably central and State government and municipal hospital OPDs (outpatient departments). This study design can also be extended to the private sector and IPDs (in-patient departments) patients to understand the entire picture. The major drugs prescribed, and which led to deviations included the proton pump inhibitors in isolation and in combination with other drugs. The perceived potential consequences of such unacceptable deviation were increased cost and adverse drug effects. The clinicians also provided several recommendations for improving the situation – educational and administrative directives².

Now, the recent curriculum for the Indian Medical Graduate has implemented prescription writing as a skill exercise, which may improvise the situation. Early training in undergraduate days may decrease the deviations in writing prescriptions.