State DIC to launch interactive software to detect drug to drug interaction

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This is a news from.... Pharmabiz.com

The Drug Information Centre (DIC) of Maharashtra State Pharmacy

Council (MSPC) is all set to bring out indigenous CD based

interactive softwares to detect drug to drug interactions in any

given prescription, targeting awareness among healthcare

professionals on importance of reporting Adverse Drug Reactions

(ADRs).

The centre has launched a Drug Interaction Checker for Prescriptions

(DICP) software in CD, covering five therapeutic systems

antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antianginals, lipid lowering and

antibiotics, by the end of November 2006. The initiative is the

first part of the DIC's endeavour to support the national

pharmacovigilance programme, as the centre is planning to come up

with a second part for the CD within two months. The second part

will cover two major systems, drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS and

Tuberculosis, with options for checking the interactions for the

medicines in various conditions.

The easy-to-use software is loaded with thousands of brands with

corresponding generic drug names database, to provide interaction

message on screen on request by entering prescription details. The

database consists materials from all the possible reference

literature including British National Pharmacopoeia and Micromedex's

Drugdex, USA, according to the DIC officials.

Initially, the centre is out in the field with 1000 CDs of the first

part, expecting sufficient feed back from the healthcare

professionals from hospitals, pharmacists including those in

clinical practice, Indian Medical Association and doctors on various

fields. By collecting the feedback, the centre will formulate an up

gradation policy for the CDs, which will probably to conduct

revision once in three or six months, added sources.

" The CDs are intended to support the government initiative on

pharmacovigilance, and we have sent around 50 CDs to experts in

various segments for feedback.

The future policy including any plans to launch another such project

will be decided once after analysing the feedback on this project, "

Gurunath Sule, Project Specialist, DIC, MSPC told Pharmabiz. The CD

has been granted a copyright registration number by Copyright Office

of Govt. of India and is available in a cost of Rs 750 per disc. He

added that the CDs are not prepared to use as a medical

substitution, but only to direct the healthcare professional on the

drug-drug interaction.