Abstract

Abstract

Background: Pneumonia, an infection causing alveolar inflammation and frequent consolidation, remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality—especially among older adults, immunocompromised patients, and those with comorbidities such as diabetes, COPD, and cardiac disease. Effective management requires early diagnosis, rational prescribing, adherence monitoring, patient education, and preventive measures to reduce disease burden and antimicrobial resistance. Objective: To evaluate prescription patterns in pneumonia patients and assess the importance of medication adherence. Methodology: A six-month prospective observational study in a tertiary-care hospital enrolled 140 admitted pneumonia patients. Prescriptions were analysed for drug utilization, antimicrobial rationality, and guideline adherence. The Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS) and Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) assessed adherence and severity. Data were analysed using Microsoft Excel and statistical software. Results: Participants were predominantly male (107/140; 76.4%). Age distribution: 18–40 years, 35.7%; 41–60 years, 40.0%; 61–75 years, 21.4%; >75 years, 2.9%. Adherence was poor in 57.1% (80/140) and good in 42.9% (60/140). Cephalosporins were most prescribed (45.98%), followed by macrolides (14.96%), tetracyclines (14.59%), and penicillin–beta-lactamase inhibitors (10.21%); other classes formed smaller proportions. Conclusion: This study was undertaken to analyse the prescribing trends in pneumonia patients and to determine the importance of medication adherence.

Keywords: Pneumonia, Prescription Pattern, Antibiotic Utilization, Medication Adherence, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).