MONITORING OF PRESCRIPTION PATTERN OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS IN MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Abstract

Drug utilization review (DUR) programs are being conducted with the aim of improving the appropriateness of prescriptions. DURs have traditionally focused on drugs with frequent side-effects, high price tags or complicated dosing regimens. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the antibiotic utilization pattern of antimicrobial agents and then to assess the prescriptions by the WHO prescribing indicators. This prospective and descriptive study was carried out in the medicine department of Guwahati Medical College & Hospital, Guwahati, India from Feb. 2015 to Dec. 2015.The data obtained was represented as mean ± SEM and percentages, as applicable. An appropriate statistical test (chi square test) was used for determining association between variable. The results are calculated from 425 patients' data. Out of 672 medicines, 500(74.4%) medicines were prescribed from National Essential Medicine List (NEML) 2015.There was a good tendency of prescribing by generic name. Use of injection was very high and percentage encounter with an injection prescribed was 92 % (391 cases).Ceftriaxone was the most frequently prescribed medicine (217 cases) followed by metronidazole (65 cases). The physicians prescribing habit was the main factor that directly influences the prescribing patterning. Introduction of an antibiotic policy and on-going education of hospital staff regarding the use of antibiotics are helpful to control spiralling expenditure on such agents, and the emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms.