In order to promote rationale use of drugs among healthcare professionals and patients across the state, the Chhattisgarh State Pharmacy Council (CSPC) is planning to conduct CMEs through its Drug Information Centre (DIC) on online reporting of adverse drug reactions and contraindications.

DIC has set up an online reporting system through which queries about adverse drug reactions are addressed free of cost besides giving inputs on product information and identification, contraindications, adverse drug reactions or drug interactions, efficacy, treatment, choice of drug including drug profile, dosage and toxicology among other pertinent areas.
 
Information furnished by DIC are fully authentic and retrieved mainly from internationally reputed database (Micromedex's Drugdex, USA) delivered through any desired mode of communication.

Says Manish Saxena, in-charge, DIC, "Drugs related queries can be sent by email, phone, fax, post or in person. The software programme has been specially developed for documentation of DIC Queries." Chhattisgarh DIC is 25th DIC in India and probably the first one in newly formed states. DIC is registered with IRDIS, an International Register of Drug Information Services.

"The CMEs conducted will also help in getting in-depth and focused drug information and to help medical faculty in monitoring adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by using powerful medical data base, thus improving patient compliance. Our DIC will also be assisting doctors and hospital pharmacists in updating on new drugs emerging at international level, in different therapeutic areas," Saxena adds.
 
The conventional method of obtaining drug information was through the medical representatives and product literature provided by the manufacturers, which may be incomplete or biased. The centre aims to provides in depth, unbiased source of crucial drug information to meet the needs of the practicing physicians, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals in following areas.

Information is key to preventing medication errors. Such information leads to enhanced quality of patient care and thus improved patient outcome. With rapid advancement in medical and biological science, huge information about drugs and diseases has emerged out. Access and authenticity of this vast information being limited, rational selection and utilization of drugs has been more complex.

Other functions of DIC include current and alternative therapy recommendations based on literature analysis and patient data are provided. Suspected adverse drug reactions are assessed, specific information regarding predisposing factors, relationship to dose or duration of therapy incidence, clinical manifestations and management are provided.

Besides, the significance of a drug-drug, drug-food, drug- disease or drug-laboratory test interaction is evaluated. The DIC attempt to identify drugs obtained in other countries and when possible the DIC will provide product composition and US equivalent. An assessment of the efficacy and potential hazards of the product are also given.