Access and availability of essential medicines in Chhattisgarh: Situation in public health facilities.

Background: In 2013, the Government of Chhattisgarh announced a policy guaranteeing access to free generic medicines in all the public health facilities. This study was conducted with the objectives of evaluating the prescribing patterns of physicians in public health facilities with regard to generic medicines, and whether the prescribed generic medicines were made available to patients.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducting from December 2013-October 2014, using exit interviews of patients.

Lithium-induced sinus node dysfunction at therapeutic serum levels.

Lithium-induced cardiotoxicity, though rare at therapeutic levels, has been reported frequently in overdoses. We report a patient who developed sinus bradycardia while being treated with lithium carbonate even though the serum lithium levels were within the therapeutic range. It reversed following withdrawal of lithium and did not reappear with subsequent treatment with valproate.