No abstract

Recent data from the National sample survey highlighted that many Indians prefer private hospitals over public hospitals for their healthcare needs. Hence, drug utilization research at private hospitals may help promote rational drug use, avoid risk to patient safety, and minimize pharmaceuticals wastage. The study aimed to evaluate the drugs prescription pattern using the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended prescribing indicators at a private hospital in Pune, India. The study was an observational, prospective, and cross-sectional study conducted at the out-patient department of a private hospital in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Total 1023 prescriptions from October 2020 to May 2021 were studied using WHO drug prescribing indicators. Microsoft Excel and SPSS v26.0 was used to capture and analyse the data of the study. A total of 3954 drugs were prescribed in 1023 prescriptions. The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter was 3.9 (standard deviation: 1.3). Drugs prescribed by using the drug's generic name were 6.6%, the encounters with an antibiotic and an injection prescribed were 47.0% and 1.8%, respectively. The drugs prescribed from the Essential Drugs List (EDL) were 62.0%. Additionally, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were prescribed the most (17.7%), followed by antacids (17.3%) and vitamins and supplements drugs (17.0%). The study highlighted deviations in prescribing practices compared to WHO standards. The study suggests a need to train the physicians and implement the WHO prescribing indicator on a trial basis in private hospitals to develop policies to achieve a long-lasting benefit.

Background: Drug utilization research (DUR) is vital in the health sector as it offers insight into the efficacy of drug use. The findings of DUR studies can help set goals for the rational use of drugs and health-care funds distribution. Objective: The objective of this DUR study was to evaluate the prescription pattern of drugs prescribed in the outpatient department (OPD) of a private orthopedic hospital. Settings and Design: The study was a cross-sectional, prospective, and observational study conducted at the OPD of a private orthopedic hospital. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out over a 6-month duration (from October 2020 to March 2021) at the OPD of a private orthopedic hospital and studied 609 prescriptions using the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended prescribing indicators. Statistical Analysis Used: Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 26.0 were used to capture and analyze the data of the study. Results: A total of 3082 drugs were prescribed in 609 prescriptions. The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter was 5.1 (SD = 1.9). Drugs prescribed using generic name of the drug were 2.6%, the encounters with an antibiotic and an injection prescribed were 39.4% and 7.1%, respectively. The drugs prescribed from the essential drugs list were 38.9%. In addition, vitamins and supplements (32.1%) were prescribed the most followed by analgesics (24.2%) and antacids (16.6%). Conclusions: The study highlighted the inadequate compliance with the WHO recommended prescribing indicators and suggested a need to train physicians and spread awareness about writing rational prescriptions, benefitting the patient.