Employability skills and placement rate becomes the buzz words to bench mark for the quality of engineering education among the technical institutes in the country. The gap between pass out ratio and placement ratio among the engineering graduates is alarming and indicating the poor levels of skill set of the engineers. The reasons for the same are many and multifold. The present paper is focused on studying the role of personal factors, life skills factors, teaching and learning factors, and evaluation systems and improvement practices environment in the employability of the engineering graduates from Hyderabad city. For the purpose of the study, selected students from the engineering colleges in the city are drawn as sample using judgment sample method. The study is descriptive and exploratory in nature. The sample size for the study is fixed at 600 and the final analysis is done with 512 samples. The data required for the study is collected through a pretested structured questionnaire. All the students are from eighth semester and appearing for placements. Some of the students are already placed and waiting to complete the course. The combination of the experiences in the interviews and the skill gaps observed in the self assessment is presented. The study results reveal that, life skill factors, teaching learning and evaluation systems are highly important in employability skills of the engineering graduates. The relationship between the employability and the selected variables are highly significant at 1% level of significance. A structured practical sessions and application oriented training along with practical sessions and strict evaluation systems along with options for improvement can help the students to realize and learn the required skills and there by improved level of employability among the engineering graduates in the sample. Further, it indicates the need for revamping the old pedagogy and adoption of new ICT and CTT in teaching learning processes can help in resolving the issue at the earliest possible time. The role of a teacher can never give up in training and molding the young graduates of any selected field of study. The teacher issues in this sector needs a special care and concern to get the improved level of professional deliverables and service quality among the technical institutions in the field.

Objectives: The objectives of the study are to evaluate the cost variation and cost ratio of different brands of the drugs used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: The cost of alpha-blockers and 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors used in the treatment of BPH was noted from CIMS (Oct 2019–Jan 2020), Drugs Update, and Medline. The differences between the maximum and minimum cost of various brands of the same drug were analyzed and percentage variation in the cost was calculated. The results of the study were expressed in absolute numbers and percentages. Results: All the drugs used in the treatment of BPH are only available in tablet and capsule forms, in 10 different dosages and in 242 different brand names, of which 10 mg alfuzosin and 2.5 mg finasteride have the highest (518) and lowest (14) percentage of cost variation, while 0.4 mg tablet form of tamsulosin is available in the maximum number of brands-41. Conclusion: This pharmacoeconomic study reveals that there is wide variation in the cost of most of the drugs used in the treatment of BPH. Therefore, it is very much essential for both government and pharmaceutical companies to make combined efforts to reduce the cost of these drugs, which will reduce the economic burden on the patients and also reduce the overall health care costs.

Flipped classroom is a teaching method where the students are involved in pre class preparations like watching related videos of lectures, reading relevant books and class time is utilized for clarifying doubts, discussion, class activity and problem solving Objectives: To compare traditional classroom lecture with Flipped classroom and to study the effectiveness and acceptability of the Flipped classroom approach in teaching Pharmacology. Methods: Second year dental students were divided into two groups-A and B of 37 each. Group A students, were given videos and voice over power point through Google group and What’s app group on Antiepileptic drugs and after two weeks they were exposed to Flipped class using think pair and share class activity while group B students were given traditional lecture class on antiepileptic drugs. Both groups knowledge was compared using a post test questionnaire and group A students perception on flipped class was assessed using a three point Likert’s questionnaire. Mean score between the two groups was compared using Man Whitney U test and p < 0.005 was considered as statistically significant. Results: 86% students preferred flipped class over conventional class and 95% liked think pair and share activity as it guided them in deeper understanding of the subject. Mean score was better among students involved in flipped class when compared to lecture class. Conclusion: Dental students had a good learning experience with the Flipped classroom method as it allowed them to learn at their pace and also guided them to apply learned information accurately

Background: Osteoporosis is a chronic disease leading to weakened and porous bones which increases the risk of fractures. It is a treatable condition using drugs like bisphosphonates. There is wide variation in the cost among various brands of bisphosphonates in the Indian market, so the objective of the study was to analyse cost of different brands of bisphosphonates.Methods: Cost of both oral and injectable bisphosphonates in the same strength and dosage forms was obtained from CIMS India (January-April 2019). For oral form of the drug, price was calculated per 10 tablets, for injectable form the price per ampoule or vial was calculated and cost ratio, percentage of cost variation was calculated.Results: 15 different formulations of bisphosphonates were analyzed and it was found that cost ratio is found to be highest with 60 mg of pamidronate injection and lowest with 10 mg alendronate tablet, also pamidronate 60 mg injection has highest percentage of cost variation (9632%) and lowest cost variation is seen with 10 mg alendronate (35%). Cost ratio of 11 formulations was found to be very high which was >2 while percentage of cost variation of 11 formulations was found to be more 100.Conclusions: This study concludes that there is wide variation in cost of various brands of bisphosphonates in India. The huge price variation creates unnecessary burden leading on the patients resulting in noncompliance which increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, there is an urgent need to regulate the cost of various formulations of bisphosphonates which will reduce the financial burden on the patients.