Background: Drug utilization studies should be regularly conducted to increase therapeutic efficacy, decrease adverse effects, and provide feedback to prescribers to promote the rational use of drugs. Systematic audit of prescriptions among surgical outpatients are very few in India.
Objective: To obtain information on drug prescribing patterns, analyze the drug use with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO)/International Network for the Rational Use of Drugs (INRUD) indicators.
Materials and Methods: The study was carried out over a 6-month duration (from January to June 2014) at the Gujarat Adani Institute of Medical Sciences attached with GK General Hospital, Bhuj, Gujarat, India. We collected 661 prescriptions from the surgical outpatient department for analysis. The age, sex, and diagnosis of the patients were noted. The percentage of the drugs prescribed from the essential drug lists and the average cost of drugs per prescription was calculated.
Result: Of the total 661 patients, 351 were men and 310 were women. Injections and antibiotics were prescribed in 5.1% and 31.6% of encounters, respectively. Only 19.6% drugs were prescribed by generic name. Antimicrobials were most commonly prescribed, followed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antiulcer drugs. More than one error or problem was noted with 18.1% prescriptions. The average cost of drugs per encounter was 178.20 Indian Rupees.
Conclusion: Antimicrobials should be used rationally. Prescribing by generic name and from the essential drug lists should be encouraged. Training sessions, especially for junior doctors, on the correct method of writing prescriptions are needed.
Key words: Drug utilization, prescribing patterns, the WHO/INRUD drug-use indicators
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