Background and Objective:The use of supplements has increased substantially in the past few decades. The present study is an effort to explore pattern of use, knowledge and attitude toward consumption of multivitamin supplements among the general public.Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional study on 120 adult participants from the general public was conducted. The participants were interviewed and information was collected in a predesigned structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed and expressed as counts and percentages.Results:Of the 120 study participants, 66 were males and 54 were females. Results revealed that 68.33% (82) of the participants were users of multivitamin supplements. Out of the users, 69.5% (57) participants consumed on the advice of doctors, 18.2% (15) were self-prescribers while 12.1% (10) relied on advice of family or friends. Among the users, 70.96% considered such supplements to be helpful. Reasons quoted for self-medication use of multivitamins were multiple such as maintenance of general health (55%), to allay weakness or fatigue (20%), to improve appetite (15%) etc. Majority of the participants were unaware regarding the correct indications for multivitamin supplementation. Regarding knowledge about the natural sources of these vitamins, as many as 76% showed ignorance.Conclusion:Finding from this study suggests that multivitamin use is highly prevalent and the majority of the participants were ignorant of any possible harm or drug interactions. In light of this, there is a need to adopt certain educational interventions to minimize self-directed supplement use and increase awareness regarding their correct usage.

Objectives:In order to ensure a successful and sustainable curriculum development, regular feedback from students about their views of learning experience is a must. The purpose of this study was to assess whether learning aids are actually supporting the curriculum goals and what reforms can be implemented for betterment of teaching in pharmacology for dental students. Materials and Methods: A detailed structured questionnaire having both open and closed-ended questions was given to 120 students of 2 nd year in a teaching dental hospital. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis of data. Frequency was expressed as percentage. Pearson Chi square test was used to compare the responses to various questions. Results: A total response rate of 83.33% was observed. Majority of the students, i.e., 85% were females. Mean age of the students was 19.6 ± 0.87 years. Teaching by lectures with bilateral communication was rated highest (47%) among the teaching methods. Most students wanted teachers to use liquid crystal display (LCD) projection during lectures. 42% students preferred textbooks and class notes for studying pharmacology. A whopping 76% of the students favored tutorial sessions of small groups. As part of pharmacology practicals, a combination of pharmacy practicals and clinically oriented exercises was preferred. While preparing for the annual university examination, class tests were rated as most useful (43%) followed by tutorials (24%), send-up (20%), and midterm examination (13%). Conclusion: Lectures with bilateral communication are the preferred mode of learning in this setting. There is a need to incorporate more clinically oriented exercises like proper usage of syringes and needles or observing aseptic precautions to better equip the students toward clinical training.

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