STUDY ON THE USE OF CORTICOSTEROID IN DIFFERENT DERMATOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

The most often prescribed medications in dermatology, topical steroids, are being abused more and more. The purpose of this study was to examine topical steroid prescriptions and evaluate participants' knowledge and practices about their administration. Subjects and Procedures: After receiving approval from the institutional ethical committee, participants were split into those receiving outside prescription care and those being treated in the institution based on the selection criteria. A pre-validated questionnaire was given to them in order to gauge their level of understanding and application of topical steroid treatment. Utilized Statistical Analysis: Chi square test was used to compare consciousness between two patient categories. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate prescription variables. P value significance was fixed at 0.05. Findings: Of the 400 patients, 167 were institutional patients and 233 had external prescriptions. Of all patients, just 5.5% were aware of the kind of medication that was administered, while 31.25% were aware of the indication. Of the patients, 33.75% were aware that topical steroids needed a prescription, and 5.6% acknowledged that using topical steroids could have negative effects. Ninety-six patients experienced side symptoms. Institutional patients had considerably higher awareness for knowledge, indication, and need for prescription, whereas both groups lacked knowledge regarding side effects. The most common indication overall was psoriasis, while the most common indication among those that were externally administered was tinea (51.5%). Conclusions: Despite the fact that this study indicated that patients receiving care in institutions had knowledge that was on par with that of patients receiving care in the community, more patient awareness needs to be raised generally, and steps need to be taken to put an end to irrational prescribing practices in the community.