Evaluation of Disease and Treatment Awareness, Self Medication Practices and Prescription Patterns in Patients of Osteoporosis Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-sectional, Questionnaire-based Study.

Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by low bone mass and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Since the disease is chronic and the course of treatment spans from over 6 months to lifelong, adherence to drug therapy is an important factor to prevent deterioration of the disease. . Adherence to osteoporosis medications is relatively poor. The clinical benefit from osteoporosis therapies has a clear association with medication adherence.Treatment Awareness of the patient will help to improve the adherence of patients to Osteoporosis Medication. There have been no studies in India on Treatment Awareness of Osteoporosis. The study will focus on Assessing Treatment Awareness of Osteoporosis Patients. There have been only a few studies in the Western part of India to evaluate the awareness of Osteoporosis in patients hence, the study also aims to evaluate the Awareness of Osteoporosis in patients of Osteoporosis. 

Osteoporosis, being a chronic condition, apart from the issue of adherence and poor drug treatment awareness, being a chronic disorder, patient’s resort to self medications. Studies to date suggest that people with chronic conditions are more likely to use CAM (complementary and alternative medicine). Thus, this study will also focus on Self Medication practices in Osteoporosis.

The treatment for osteoporosis consists of Non-Pharmacological interventions such as prescribing exercise, weight-bearing physical activity and exercises that improve balance and posture, a diet rich in vitamin D and calcium, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol use. Specific medication prescriptions are necessary. The Pharmacotherapy of Osteoporosis consists of prescribing drugs which are classified into two groups: those that decrease bone resorption (antiresorptive agents) and those that increase skeletal formation (anabolic agents). Antiresorptive drugs (bisphosphonates [BPs], denosumab, estrogen replacement therapy [ERT], and selective estrogen receptor modulator [SERM]) reduce the rate of bone resorption. Anabolic drugs (teriparatide, romosozumab) stimulate bone formation and partially bone resorption. Since a wide range of treatment options are available for Management of Osteoporosis, hence variability within the prescription pattern is seen. There are very few studies to evaluate prescription pattern. This study aims to evaluate prescription patterns in patients of Osteoporosis.

Primary Objective:

1. To evaluate the Disease and Treatment Awareness in patients of Osteoporosis with or without comorbidities coming to Endocrinology OPD and Orthopaedic OPD using a Pre-validated Disease and Treatment Awareness Questionnaire.

 Secondary Objectives:

1.     To assess the Self Medication Practices in Patients of Osteoporosis with or without comorbidities using Pre-validated Self Medication Questionnaire.

2.     To evaluate the Prescription Pattern of drugs used in the treatment of patients with Osteoporosis with or without comorbidities.

Sample Size: Total of 600 patients attending Endocrinology OPD and Orthopaedic OPD, meeting the inclusion/ exclusion criteria during the study period shall be enrolled. Sample size is in accordance as per WHO guidelines for Good Prescribing Patterns in Health studies.

Primary and Secondary Variables shall be measured. Statistical Analysis will be done.