Audit and Quality Assessment of Prescriptions in an Urban Health Centre of Kolkata

Abstract

Introduction: Assessment of drug use pattern using the World Health Organization (WHO) drug use indicators is a vital step to promote rational drug usage. The objective of the study was to assess the prescription format and adherence to WHO core prescribing indicators in urban health centre, Chetla. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the current prescribing practices at Urban Health Centre, Chetla. Total 360 new prescriptions prescribed by doctors at outpatient department (OPD) were selected on 2 working days per week for a period of 3 weeks, i.e. total 6 working days using census method. Result: The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter or mean was 2.14(SD 1.058) and the percentage of prescriptions with an antibiotic or injection was 39.4% and 8.6% respectively. The percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name and from an essential drug list was 69.3% and 85.5% respectively. Prescriptions prescribed with fixed dose combination were 46.5% and out of which 87% was approved by drug standard control organization, Govt. of India. Complete diagnoses in the prescriptions were written in 7.2% prescriptions only. Conclusion: On the basis of the finding of this study, the prescribing practices for antibiotic showed deviation from the standard recommended by WHO. Drug use evaluation should be done for some of the antibiotics to check whether they were appropriately prescribed or not. On the other hand, polypharmacy, generic prescribing and prescribing from EDL were also not as per WHO standard.