SOURCES OF INFORMATION:

There are several sources of information on drugs. Doctors must have uptodate and scientific knowledge of drugs from authentic sources. Conventional sources for doctors in our country include information provided by visiting medical representatives of pharmaceutical companies, promotional literature supplied by them, various drug indexes like Monthly Index of Medical Specialities (MIMS), Current Index of Medical Specialities (CIMS), Indian Drug Review (IDR), Drug Index (DI), Drugs Today etc.

However these sources are often directed by commercial motives and hence may not be totally scientific, rather could be biased. The scientific and authentic sources of information are: textbooks of pharmacology, medicine and other medical sciences; publications and journals of reputation, pharmacopoeias, National Formularies, United States Pharmacopoeia- Dispensing Information (USP-DI), Extrapharmacopoeia by Martindale, Continuing Medical Education (CME) programmes etc.


- Pharmacopoeias: They are comprehensive books published under the authority of a recognised body, generally constituted by law, to ensure uniformity in composition and strength of medicines used in the treatment of diseases. They consist of approved therapeutic agents defined with respect to their preparation, physical and chemical characteristics, standardization and dosage.

The agents mentioned in the pharmacopoeia are official preparations. So the preparation is called official when the method is recognised by or prescribed in pharmacopoeia or it may be extemporaneous, when it is prepared according to formula or prescription of medical practitioners. [ I.P.= (Indian Pharmacopoeia), B.P.=(British Pharmacopoeia), U.S.P.= (United States Pharmacopoeia), B.N.F.= (British National Formulary)].

- National formulary (N.F.): It includes formulae for pharmaceutical preparations such as elixirs, solutions, tinctures and powders whose use or effectiveness is reasonably certain. National formulary of India is published by the Government of India.

- Drug : French word - Drogue = Dry herb

According to WHO: “ A drug is any substance / product that is used/ intended to be used to modify/explore physiological systems/pathological states for benefit of the recipient”. For a doctor, a drug is a chemical substance used for the purpose of

a) Prevention of disease : i.e. B.C.G. Vaccine for prevention of Tuberculosis

b) Relief from symptoms: i.e. Paracetamol for headache

c) Control of disease : i.e. Insulin in diabetes mellitus

d) Cure of disease : i.e. Chloroquine for acute attack of malaria

e) Control of fertility : i.e. Use of oral contraceptive pills for contraception

Category: Pharmacology Notes