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Medication utilization pattern among outpatients during the Hajj mass gathering
Saber Yezli1, Sabra Zaraa2, Yara Yassin1
1The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Summary
During the Hajj pilgrimage, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, and antibiotics were the most frequently prescribed medications for outpatients. These findings can inform drug use planning for mass gatherings.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offers free healthcare to millions of pilgrims during Hajj.
- Understanding drug utilization patterns is crucial for effective medicine supply chain management and public health planning during Hajj.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate drug utilization patterns among outpatients at Hajj.
- To calculate World Health Organization (WHO) drug use indicators for Hajj healthcare facilities.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of electronic medical records from eight hospitals in Makkah during the 2018 Hajj.
- Examined medication prescriptions and dispensing data for 37,367 outpatients.
- Calculated WHO drug use indicators.
Main Results:
- Over 99,000 medications were prescribed to 37,367 outpatients.
- The most common drug classes were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, and antibiotics.
- Average of 2.6 drugs per encounter; polypharmacy (≥5 drugs) occurred in 4.8% of cases.
- Antibiotics were prescribed in 46.9% of encounters.
Conclusions:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, and antibiotics are the primary medications dispensed to Hajj outpatients.
- The study provides essential data and WHO drug use indicators for optimizing medication use at Hajj.
- Results can guide future research and establish benchmarks for drug prescribing at mass gatherings.
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