This study focuses on drug prescription awareness among dental students in Kerala, involving approximately 302 participants from various dental colleges. This study involved a carefully prepared questionnaire to assess drug prescription awareness among dental students in government and private colleges across Kerala.
In our investigation of drug prescribing confidence among dental students, we found that only 64.1% of interns and 43.8% of final-year BDS students felt confident prescribing appropriate drug doses. This contrasts significantly with Rauniar et al.'s study, where 87.8% and 84.6% of second-year and pre-clinical students reported similar confidence. Variations in curriculum focus, student experience levels, or the specific cohorts studied likely contributed to this marked difference. The starkly different confidence levels can most likely be explained by differences in curriculum design, student experience, or the characteristics of the specific student groups involved in each study. [5]
47.9% of the final year students and 38.5% of the interns who participated in our study consider dental caries as the most common health condition treated in dental practice, while 56% of the participants in the survey conducted by R Guzman-Alvarez et al. consider infection as the most common health condition treated in dental practice. [2]
57.7% of the participants in our study consider dental pain as the most common condition treated in dental practice, which is per the study conducted by Hina Ashraf et al. [6]
Most of the participants in our study (69.2% of final year students and 76.3% of interns, respectively) consider Amoxicillin as the most prescribed antibiotic in dental practice, while only 26.7% of the participants in the study conducted by Hina Ashraf et al. think the same. [6]
About 67.1% of the participants in the study conducted by Mamta Dali et al. have faculties as the primary source for prescription information. Still, most of the participants in our study (66.4% of the students and 58.3% of interns) have textbooks as the primary source of prescription information. [7]
More than half of the participants in our study (78.1% of students and 72.4% of the interns) are aware of the WHO guidelines for drug prescription, while only a few of the participants (17.03%) in the study conducted by Mamta Dali et al are aware of the WHO guidelines. [7]
Most of the participants in our study (61.6% of the final year students and 74.4% of the interns) know the correct drug delivery route per the study conducted by Ankita Jain et al (65.88%). [4]
Most participants in our study agreed dental pain is the most common health condition encountered in the dental practice, which agrees with the survey conducted by Nor Syakirah Binti Shahroom et al (62% of the participants). In contrast, there is a disagreement about the most common error during prescription. Most of the participants of our study consider incorrect dosage as the most common error, but 26% of the participants in the survey conducted by Nor Syakirah Binti Shahroom et al consider not asking patients about allergy as the most common error faced in dental practice. [8]
Abdulrahman AboAlSamh et al.'s study revealed that 88.4% of dental students prefer Amoxicillin as their first-choice antibiotic, which aligns with our findings. Among our final-year students and interns, 69.2% and 76.3% favor Amoxicillin for initial antibiotic therapy. [9]
Ravichandran et al.'s study revealed that students are pretty good at identifying drug duration and administration routes. 58% of their participants could accurately say how long a medication should be taken, while 88% knew how to administer it. This aligns with our findings. In our study, 58.2% of final-year students and 69.2% of interns could determine the correct drug duration, while 61.6% of final-year students and 74.4% of interns knew the appropriate administration route. [10]
Aline Hajj et al conducted a study aimed to assess the drug prescribing perception and practices in addition to drug-related educational needs among Lebanese dentists. According to their research, the majority (80.3%) had a fair to good perceived knowledge of pharmacology and therapeutics, whereas in our study conducted by us, where 43.8% of final-year students and 64.1% of interns have appropriate knowledge about the dosage of drugs to be prescribed. [11]
Ultimately, prescribing isn't about the dentist but the patient. Decisions should be based on the best evidence, with safe and effective medicines chosen to give the patient the best possible results, all through open communication and shared decision-making. [12] In summary, this study sheds light on the drug prescription awareness of dental students in Kerala, revealing notable insights and areas for improvement in their understanding and practices.