A study on prescribing pattern of antibiotics in medicine ward of tertiary care teaching hospital

Abstract

Background: Antibiotics are most frequently prescribed and problem associated with antibiotics over and under use leads to treatment failure and on the other side resistance to drugs increases. Assessment of antibiotics prescribed is important for checking quality and standard of prescriptions. The objective of the study was done for assessing the prescribing pattern of antibiotics using WHO indicator in medicine ward of tertiary care teaching hospital.Methods: Prospective observational study was carried out for a period of six months in medicine ward after ethical committee approval. Data was collected in data collection forms and evaluated using WHO indicator.Results: A total of 190 prescriptions was collected in which 1145 drugs were prescribed. Total number of antibiotics in prescription was found to be 164. Percentage of antibiotics was found to be 14.32% which was according to WHO prescribing indicator. Various class of antibiotics was prescribed in which cephalosporin with total of 90 (54.87%) followed by penicillin 18 (10.97), macrolide 18 (10.97%) fluoroquinolones 11 (6.70%), nitroimidazole 8 (4.87%), amino glycoside 8 (4.87%) and other classes 11 (6.70%).Conclusions: The study shows that pattern of antibiotics was according to the WHO prescribing indicator but still practice was lacking in terms of selection of antibiotics as there was no culture sensitivity test was performed.