Dapsone has been the principal drug in a multidrug regimen recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of leprosy. It is also widely used by dermatologists in varied skin conditions like dermatitis herpetiformis, bullous pemphigoid, Behcet's disease, lupus erythematous and a host of other skin diseases. Hence an attempt has been made to review the utilization and qualitative evaluation of dapsone over a period of 6 months in a tertiary care teaching hospital. The study consisted of 80 patients (54 leprosy and 26 non-leprosy patients), prescribed with dapsone 100 mg oral once daily. The prescribing patterns of dapsone in leprosy and other dermatological conditions (non-leprosy) were analyzed and the safety, efficacy and appropriateness of the doses prescribed were reviewed. The adverse drug reactions observed in the study population were type I Lepra reactions, gastrointestinal side effects (abdominal pain and anorexia), peripheral neuropathy, other nervous side effects (insomnia, headache and vertigo) and other adverse reactions (fever and tinnitus). Patient information leaflets were distributed to patients to educate on the appropriate use of dapsone.

Objectives Drug therapy (DT) is growing more complex, thus appropriate drug prescription becomes increasingly challenging. Drug interactions (DI) are one of the important factors that modify the response to a drug. The main objective of this study was to monitor the potentially serious and significant Drug-Drug Interactions (DDIs). Material and methods The number of drugs prescribed for each patient, drugs taken by the patient and the drug interactions were recorded. The interactions between the drugs were assessed using Micromedex software and Stockley's Drug Interaction. The type and severity of prescription with DDIs was also assessed. Results The number of potential DDIs for the study population was 390 and each prescription had at least one interaction. Of the total potential DDIs (n=390) identified, majority were of moderate severity (n = 257, 65.90%). Most frequent DDI was seen between Metformin + Ranitidine (moderate interaction) in 70 prescriptions (50%) and between Ranitidine + Acetaminophen (minor interaction) in 48 prescriptions (34.29%). The common major interactions were seen between Rabeprazole + Clopidogrel in 4 prescriptions (2.86%), Enalapril + Spironolactone and Ciprofloxacin + Tramadol in 3 prescriptions (2.14%). ConclusionThe drug related problems, primarily the drug interactions is a permanent patient related risk in hospitals and the utilization of computer software has become the best way to identify and prevent them.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the oldest infections known toaffect humans and in spite of the new treatment strategies and observations; it remains one of the most substantial causes of death in the world. Studies focusing on the QOL among TB patients are limited and no such investigation has been considering the fact that improvement in health-related QOL is an important factor for better response for treatment among TB patients. The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life including physiological, general health perception and social role functioning among patients with tuberculosis.

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