The present study represents the current prescribing trend for antihypertensive drugs in family medicine clinics at Jordan University Hospital in Jordan. The study sample involved 416 male and female hypertensive Jordanian patients. Our results demonstrate that 2 hypertensive patients were not receiving any antihypertensive therapy at the time of evaluation, 192 patients were on a single antihypertensive therapy, 157 patients were on two antihypertensive drugs, 52 patients were on triple antihypertensive therapy and 13 patients were on four or more drugs. The most frequent classes of antihypertensive drugs used or prescribed to patients either as a single therapy or in combinations include angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, β-blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics and angiotensin receptor blockers. Among the mono-therapy prescriptions, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors were the most commonly prescribed and diuretics were least used. In combined therapy, diuretics were the most prescribed antihypertensive drugs, followed by β-blockers. Combinations consisting of diuretics and β-blockers were the most commonly seen. With respect to overall use, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors were the most prescribed agents.
Despite an observed significant reduction in blood pressure between first and last visits to the family clinics, most of the patients did not achieve recommended blood pressure control according to the international guidelines.
Key words: drug prescription, antihypertensive drugs, hypertension, family practice clinics
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