Abstract

A PROSPECTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY USING W.H.O. PRESCRIBING INDICATORS IN ALCOHOLIC LIVER DISEASE IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Manjunatha R., Muhammed Alfas M., Mohammed Jaseel M., Hashim Rahman N., S. Jannath Ul Firdous* and Dr. Varun Lal

.

Abstract

Background: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) includes alcoholic steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. In our study, the W.H.O. core Prescribing indicators are used to assess rational drug use(RDU) and to evaluate drug prescribing patterns. Objectives: The main objective of our study is to assess the prescription pattern using W.H.O. core prescribing indicators in ALD patients. Methodology: This prospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted for a period of 6 months among ALD patients. The data collected from 150 enrolled subjects, was analysed statistically as per W.H.O. prescribing indicators and compared with standard W.H.O. values and reported. Results: During the study period, 649 drugs were prescribed to 150 outpatients. The average number of drugs per encounter was found to be 4.33 which indicates polypharmacy, drugs prescribed in the generic name were found to be 53% which does not meet the W.H.O. ideal value, use of antibiotics and injections which were found to be 14.79% and 19.2% respectively which are in optimal value. The drugs which were prescribed from NLEM-2015 were found to be 60.1%. Conclusion: Our study suggests that there is a need for the conduct of seminars, workshops, and regular training programs to get the values of core prescribing indicators within standard values led by the W.H.O. to ensure RDU. There is a need for standard treatment guidelines, availability of essential drug lists, and drug information centers. There is a need to increase the involvement of clinical pharmacists in clinical rounds which promotes RDU and hospital policies.

Keywords: ALD, W.H.O. core prescribing indicators, RDU, NLEM-2015, polypharmacy.