Abstract

DRUG PRESCRIBING PATTERN IN THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY UNIT – THE PATIENT’S FIRST POINT OF CONTACT

Karuna Sree P.*, Roopa B., Venkata Rao Y. and P. V. Sai Satyanarayana

Abstract

Drug utilization is the marketing, distribution, prescription and use of drugs in a society affecting the medical, social and economic status. Drug utilization studies (DUS) provides insight on the pattern, quality, determinants and outcomes of drug use and facilitates the rational prescribing. Hence the present study was planned to assess the prescribing pattern in the emergency department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective observational study done at tertiary care teaching hospital of Telangana. The data was collected from the case records of patients admitted in the emergency unit and was analyzed. Results: A total of 104 case sheets were analyzed. 71.15% were males; 29.85% - females with mean age of 40.31±16.26 years. Road traffic accidents (25.96%) followed by gastrointestinal diseases (18.27%) were first and second highest cause of admissions. The mean duration of stay in the emergency unit was 7.52±3.1 hours. Average number of drugs per prescription was 4.61±2.12 (mean±SD). About 72.86% drugs were prescribed by trade name and 27.14% by generic. Around 93 drugs of different groups were prescribed, among which 69.89% were in Essential Medicine List (EML) of India and 30.11% were out of EML. Most prescribed drugs were gastrointestinal (25.26%), antibiotics (23.28%) and analgesics (16.45%). 43.75% of antibiotics belongs to Beta-lactum group. Among the analgesics, 54.43% were NSAIDs. Fixed Dose Combinations (FDC) constitutes 12.11% of total drugs prescribed. Conclusion: Average of number of drugs per prescription was on higher side, probably due to emergency condition. Prescribing with generic name is to be improved. Majority of drugs were prescribed from EML.

Keywords: Prescribing pattern, Emergency Unit, EML, Telangana.