Analysis of prescription pattern according to drug use indicators in OPD patients of medicine department at a tertiary care hospital

Pravin S Uike; Sachin R. Choudhari; Sujata Dudhgaonkar

Volume : VI, Issue : VIII, August - 2017

Analysis of prescription pattern according to drug use indicators in OPD patients of medicine department at a tertiary care hospital

Pravin S Uike, Sachin R. Choudhari, Sujata Dudhgaonkar

Abstract :

Aim and Objectives: The present study was carried out with an objective to know drug prescribing pattern, to find out its rationality and to promote rational prescribing with the use of WHO drug prescribing indicators and some complimentary indicators. Methods: Data were collected prospectively by scrutinizing 600 prescriptions of medicine OPD patients for a period of six months. Each prescription was evaluated according to case record form. Results: A total of 2650 drugs were prescribed during the study period among them average number of drugs per prescription was 4.41 trending towards polypharmacy. 69.05% drugs were prescribed by generic name. Use of antimicrobial agent (53.5% of encounters) was frequent, but injection use (59.99% of encounters) was very high. Maximum number (66.90%) of drugs was prescribed from national essential list of medicine (NLEM). 65.66% of prescriptions were written without diagnosis. Conclusion: Prescription by generic name, usage of antibiotics and injections was high and majority of drugs were prescribed from NLEM, which indicates rational prescription. Minimizing the use of antibiotics after susceptibility testing and injections and confine to the National essential drug list are necessary to further improve rational use of drugs in our facility.