Knowledge, Perception and Attitudinal Assessment of Drug Promotional Literature Among Medical Undergraduate Students: A Questionnaire-Based Study

Background:Understanding drug promotional literature (DPL) equips medical students with the ability to navigate the pharmaceutical industry ethically and responsibly. Medical students should be trained to critically evaluate DPL for accuracy, bias, and completeness. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding DPL among medical undergraduates. Methods:A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted on second and third year undergraduate medical students where a prevalidated questionnaire structured on the principal concept of DPL and items assessing the attitude and perception regarding DPL, was administered. Knowledge regarding DPL assessment was adjudged using WHO criteria. The individual item response was tabulated and analysed accordingly. Results:Drug reference guide, followed by textbooks and DPLs were regarded as most common source of drug information. Respondents’ knowledge regarding DPL was assessed against the standard WHO criteria.43.04% respondents believe that the promotional claims in DPLs are largely biased, 47.83% respondents believed that DPLs do not adequately highlight the safety concerns of the products, while 33.91% believed that DPLs only focus on the effectiveness of medications. 46.08% opined that they would cross-verify the information highlighted in DPLs before prescribing them. 93.47% passionately believe that medical undergraduates should be trained to critically assess DPLs as a part of their curriculum. Conclusion:Medical professionals should critically evaluate DPLs, seek additional sources of information, and prioritize patient safety by considering the full risk-benefit profile of any medication. Educators should ensure that medical undergraduates are equipped to assess DPL critically and ethically, fostering responsible use of promotional information in their future careers.