Prescribing Trends and Rationality of Fixed Dose Combinations in a Tertiary Care Hospital: An Observational Study

Background: The domain of psychiatric illnesses is grossly underrepresented in the current health care scenario especially due to overreliance on mortality rather than the morbidity or dysfunction. The field of psycho-pharmacology is witnessing constant development and introduction of new drugs for which holistic utilization, effectiveness, and side effects studies are the need of the hour. In addition, inappropriate use of drugs poses a potential hazard to patients. Our current study aims at studying the morbidity pattern of various psychiatric ailments and focuses on the prescribing trends of psychotropic drugs.Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in psychiatry out-patient department of a tertiary care hospital for a period of 12 months. Prescription pattern of psychotropic drugs was analyzed using predesigned format. Prescriptions were collected from OPD and hospital pharmacy. Prescriptions were analysed as per WHO indicators for prescriptions. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.Results: Depression was found to be the most common psychiatric disorder encountered (32.6%). Average number of psychotropic drugs prescribed per patient 2.45±1.013. Antidepressants along with BZD were the most frequently prescribed psychotropic drugs in various psychiatric disorders. Among the total of 2445 psychotropic drugs prescribed, 99.98% were oral formulations. Psychotropic fixed dose combinations were present in 1.68% of the prescriptions. Only 28% of medicines were prescribed by generic names. Utilization of drugs from the WHO’s 18th list of essential medicines of India was 29%. PDD of risperidone was 1.57mg in schizophrenia. Escitalopram, resperidone and propranolol were the most commonly prescribed drugs for mood disorders, schizophrenia and anxiety respectively.Conclusions: The concomitant use of two psychotropic drugs was the preferred therapy. FDC of anti-cholinergics with both typical and atypical antipsychotics were used. Benzodiazepins were significant part of therapy.

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A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON DRUG UTILIZATION PATTERN IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

10.36106/gjra/5913003 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Sujana C N ◽

Niranjan M R ◽

Parashivamurthy B M

Keyword(s):

Chronic Kidney Disease ◽

Kidney Disease ◽

Observational Study ◽

Prospective Observational Study ◽

Tertiary Care Hospital ◽

Antihypertensive Drugs ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Prescribing Patterns ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Prescribing Trends

Background: Poly-pharmacy being most common in chronic kidney disease patients (CKD). The present study was carried out to analyse current prescribing trends in the management of CKD patients and to compare it with WHO Core Indicators. Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out for three months (15th July 2019 – 15th October 2019) after Institutional Ethics Committee approval at a tertiary care hospital. Patients diagnosed with CKD by treating Nephrologist were included and their prescriptions (OPD card) were analysed to study the prescribing patterns. Results: A total of 60 cases were analysed during the study, of which 73.3% were males and 26.7% were females. The common comorbidities were hypertension (36.6%), diabetes (36.6%), other cardiovascular diseases (26.6%), anaemia (3.33%), Ca Cervix (1.67%), osteoarthritis (6.67%). Among drugs Antihypertensive drugs (40.9%) were the most commonly used drugs, followed by, Anti-diabetic drugs, calcium salts and multi-vitamins (19.7%), oral iron supplements and erythropoietin (13.4%) and ulcer protective (6.1%). Conclusions: Polypharmacy being followed in these CKD patients were necessary for multiple conditions of patient, supplemental drugs decreased adverse effects on initial drug and they yielded synergistic effects. Maximum numbers of drugs were prescribed from anti-diabetic, antihypertensive, supplemental drugs and other cardiovascular class of drugs. The principle of rational prescribing was followed. The right choice of drugs and in appropriate doses will reduce the incidence of nephrotoxicity and ultimately result better clinical outcomes.

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