Abstract

PHARMACOEPIDEMOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOECONOMICAL STUDY OF ANALGESICS IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL: RATIONAL USE

M. Viswakanth, D. Sai Sundar, M. Vijay, A, T. Saipriya, B. Rama* A. Rashmi, B. Rajkamal and P. Parameshwar

Abstract

Background-Analgesics are the most commonly used among drugs in the prescriptions in surgery, general medicine and out-patient department. Certain analgesics are also available directly to the patients without prescription as OTC. These scenarios are often leading to conditions of poly-pharmacy and drug-drug interactions, which in-turn leads to increased costs on patient care. Objectives: To study pharmaco-epidemiological and pharmaco-economical status of analgesics in tertiary care hospital. To study the rational use and educate patients about the chronic use of analgesics. Methodology: This is a prospective observational study in evaluating the Pharmacoepidemiological and Pharmaco-economical status and rational use of analgesics at a tertiary care hospital. Results: A total of 220 subjects were analysed who have been prescribed with analgesics. Out of these, 181 subjects were enrolled based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, which includes in patients of selected departments. The percentage of non-opioids drug use was found to be more compared to opioid drugs which was 72.69% respectively. It was found that most frequently prescribed analgesic was Inj. Diclofenac while economically most cost benefit drug was found to be Inj. PCM. Inj. Diclofenac was prescribed 7.37 times more than Inj. PCM. Conclusion-The study showed that analgesics administration was found to be more in males compared when compared with female subjects. Basedon broad classification of analgesics as opiates and non-opiates, the prescribed drugs were grouped. The data was recorded and analyzed. It was observed that 72.69% of non-opioid drugs were used in over all 181 case profiles.

Keywords: Analgesics, NSAID’s, opioids, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology.