Regulatory, safety and economic considerations of over-the-counter medicines in the Indian population.

Background And Purpose Of Review: Over-the-counter (OTC) medication has been an integral component of an established health care system but their easy accessibility might pose significant risks. This review has attempted to highlight the present scenario of OTC utilization in India, regarding standard practices followed globally. An attempt has also been made to highlight the lifecycle of a prescription and OTC medicine and the benefits and regulatory process involved in the prescription-to-OTC switch.

Antacids revisited: review on contemporary facts and relevance for self-management.

Heartburn and acid regurgitation are the typical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux. Despite the availability of several treatment options, antacids remain the mainstay treatment for gastroesophageal reflux-related symptoms based on their efficacy, safety, and over-the-counter availability. Antacids are generally recommended for adults and children at least 12 years old, and the FDA recommends antacids as the first-line treatment for heartburn in pregnancy.

Cinnarizine: A Contemporary Review.

Cinnarizine, is approved for nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, inner ear disorders and is considered as first-line pharmacotherapy for management of vertigo. It acts by anti-vasoconstrictor activity, reducing blood viscosity and reducing nystagmus in labyrinth. Lack of adequate literature on clinical evidence of cinnarizine and its combination (dimenhydrinate) in vertigo management prompted this review.

Second-line injectable induced ototoxicity in drug resistant tuberculosis: A systematic review of Indian studies.

Second-line injectables (SLIs) form an essential class of agents in the treatment of drug resistant (DR) tuberculosis (TB). However, their use is sometimes limited due to serious adverse events like ototoxicity and hearing loss, leading to permanent hearing loss if SLIs are continued. Globally as well as in India a wide variation in incidence of ototoxicity/hearing loss has been reported in patients with DR-TB.

Prevalence of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in India: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a significant public health issue that considerably deters the ongoing TB control efforts in India. The purpose of this review was to investigate the prevalence of DR-TB and understand the regional variation in resistance pattern across India from 1995 to 2015, based on a large body of published epidemiological studies.

Methods: A systematic review of published studies reporting prevalence of DR-TB from biomedical databases (PubMed and IndMed) was conducted.

Effects of oral versus long-acting antipsychotics on social functioning: A psychiatrists' survey in India.

Background: Schizophrenia is associated with functional challenges for patients; relapses in schizophrenia may lead to increased treatment costs and poor quality of life.

Objective: This SUSTAIN-I study was conducted to establish psychiatrists' perspective on impact of long-acting injectables (LAIs) antipsychotics on the socio-economic and functional burden of schizophrenia.

Methods: This cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted in 5 cities in India.

Addressing the barriers related with opioid therapy for management of chronic pain in India.

India has a high prevalence of chronic disorders which may be associated with persistent pain. Despite the availability of multiple treatment options, chronic pain is largely untreated and contributes to disability and mortality. Medical consumption of opioids remains low due to various barriers that prevent access to opioids for patients and healthcare practitioners.

Evidence and consensus recommendations for the pharmacological management of pain in India.

Despite enormous progress in the field of pain management over the recent years, pain continues to be a highly prevalent medical condition worldwide. In the developing countries, pain is often an undertreated and neglected aspect of treatment. Awareness issues and several misconceptions associated with the use of analgesics, fear of adverse events - particularly with opioids and surgical methods of analgesia - are major factors contributing to suboptimal treatment of pain.

Usage pattern, glycemic improvement, hypoglycemia, and body mass index changes with sulfonylureas in real-life clinical practice: results from OBSTACLE Hypoglycemia Study.

Background: Individual sulfonylurea agents differ in pharmacokinetic properties and clinical effects. This study aimed to describe the usage pattern, glycemic improvement, hypoglycemia, and change in body mass index (BMI) observed with commonly used sulfonylureas.

Subjects And Methods: Patients of either gender with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), between 18 and 75 years old and requiring addition of a sulfonylurea to an ongoing regimen of oral antihyperglycemic agent(s), were enrolled.