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Drug use pattern in children at a teaching hospital
1Department of Pharmacy Practice, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Sector 67, SAS Nagar, Punjab; and *Department of Pediatrics,Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh, India.
Indian Pediatrics
|February 27, 2009
Summary
This study analyzed drug use in a pediatric outpatient department, finding that while essential medicines were frequently used, generic prescribing was low. Interventions are needed to improve rational drug use in children.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Pediatrics
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Rational drug use is crucial in pediatric healthcare.
- Evaluating drug utilization patterns helps identify areas for improvement in prescribing practices.
- Tertiary care teaching hospitals serve as key centers for medical education and patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess drug utilization patterns in the pediatric outpatient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital.
- To evaluate prescribing indicators based on World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
- To identify opportunities for optimizing pharmacotherapy in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of patient and drug information was conducted.
- Data from 254 pediatric outpatients were analyzed.
- Prescribing indicators, including the number of drugs per prescription, use of essential medicines, injectables, antibiotics, and generic prescribing, were evaluated.
Main Results:
- The average number of drugs per prescription was 2.31.
- 45% of medicines were prescribed from the National List of Essential Medicines (NLSM).
- The use of injectables was low (1.18%), and antibiotics were prescribed in 29.1% of cases. Only 5.8% of medicines were prescribed by generic name.
Conclusions:
- While essential medicine use was notable, a significant gap exists in generic prescribing within the pediatric outpatient setting.
- Low generic prescribing rates necessitate targeted interventions to promote cost-effective and rational drug use.
- Further strategies are required to enhance the overall rational drug utilization in the pediatric population served by the hospital.
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