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In this era of 21 st century, the most valuable resource is data. Digital technology can generate terabytes of data which has a tremendous potential in the modern-day world. Pharmaceuticals play an essential role in improving and maintaining the health of patients. However, their cost in health-care budget is a major issue. Due to high prevalence and unfavorable consequences, managing chronic and lifestyle disorders has now become areas of major clinical concern globally. Harnessing this digital technology in our overburdened health-care industry can improve the treatment outcome and even replace the existing treatment. Health authorities such as U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) are also acknowledging their potential. FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health has established the “Digital Health Program” which seeks to promote public health and provide continued regulatory clarity by enhancing outreach to digital health customers and developing and implementing regulatory strategies and policies for digital health technologies. The main focus of this article is to give an overview of digital therapeutics (DT), its clinical applications, role of regulators, and challenges ahead along with potential areas for developers and to present an update on major developments and initiatives taken in this field. The most important advantages of DT are that it has direct access to patients, decreases cost of treatment, encourages healthy lifestyle modifications, and can substitute or complement conventional treatments. Many of these models are still in infancy stage, and further research and development is needed to demonstrate their enormous potential in near future. If used judiciously, they can modernize our health-care industry.

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ObjectivesWith the emergence of Novel corona virus, hunt for finding a preventive and therapeutic treatment options has already begun at a rapid pace with faster clinical development programs. The present study was carried out to give an insight of therapeutic interventional trials registered under clinical trial registry of India (CTRI) for COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsAll trials registered under CTRI were evaluated using keyword “COVID” from its inception till 9th June 2020. Out of which, therapeutic interventional studies were chosen for further analysis. Following information was collected for each trial: type of therapeutic intervention (preventive/therapeutic), treatment given, no. of centers (single center/multicentric), type of institution (government/private), study design (randomized/single-blinded/double-blinded) and sponsors (Government/private). Microsoft Office Excel 2007 was used for tabulation and analysis.ResultsThe search yielded total of 205 trials, out of which, 127 (62%) trials were interventional trials. Out of these, 71 (56%) were AYUSH interventions, 36 (28.3%) tested drugs, 9 (7%) tested a nondrug intervention, rest were nutraceuticals and vaccines. About 66 (56%) were therapeutic trials. Majority were single-centered trials, i.e. 87 (73.7%). Trials were government funded in 57 (48.3%) studies. Majority were randomized controlled trials, i.e. 67 (56.8%). AYUSH preparations included AYUSH-64, Arsenic Album, SamshamaniVati etc.ConclusionsThe number of therapeutic interventional clinical trials was fair in India. A clear-cut need exists for an increase in both quantity and quality of clinical trials for COVID-19. Drug repurposing approach in all systems of medicine can facilitate prompt clinical decisions at lower costs than de novo drug development.

Background: The burden of bacterial infections is huge and grossly underrepresented in the current health-care system. Inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents (AMAs) poses a potential hazard to patients by causing antibiotic resistance. In addition, the field of antimicrobials is witnessing constant development and introduction of new drugs for which holistic utilization, effectiveness, and side-effects studies are the need of the hour. The current study aims at studying the prescription pattern of AMAs in patients on ventilator and focuses on their prescribing trends. Methodology: A prospective, observational study was conducted in Medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a tertiary care hospital of Western India for 6 months. Prescription pattern of AMAs was analyzed using predesigned format. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics was used being an observational study Results: Five-hundred and twenty patients who were on ventilator and were prescribed one or more AMAs were enrolled in the study with a mean patient age of 40.7 years. The intended purpose of the use of AMAs was prophylactic in 59% of patients. Empirical therapy was given in 92% of patients. β-lactams group of AMAs along with metronidazole were most frequently used. 73% required concurrent use of two or more AMAs. 9% of the patients required addition or substitution of one or more other AMAs on the basis of culture and sensitivity report or inadequate clinical response and expert opinion. The outcome of therapy with AMAs showed infection was effectively prevented in 34% of the patients. Conclusion: This study provides a baseline data for improving the utilization of AMAs in ICU settings by rationalizing their use and also carrying out further studies on prescribing pattern of AMAs in a tertiary care unit.