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Evaluation of antibiotic prescribing pattern in pediatrics in a tertiary care hospital
Rinta Mathew1, Humera Sayyed1, Subhashree Behera1
1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Bharati Hospital and Research Centre, Poona College of Pharmacy, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Insights
Antibiotic prescribing in children shows polypharmacy and high injectable use, deviating from rational drug use standards. Continuous audits and training are recommended for better pharmaceutical care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pharmacology
- Infectious Disease Management
- Public Health
Background:
- Irrational antibiotic use is a global health concern, increasing morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenses.
- Rational antibiotic prescribing is crucial and should be integrated into pharmaceutical care plans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess antibiotic prescribing patterns in pediatric patients.
- Utilize World Health Organization (WHO) core prescribing indicators for evaluation.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, observational study conducted over six months in a tertiary care hospital's pediatric department.
- WHO prescribing indicators were applied to analyze prescriptions against ideal WHO ranges.
Main Results:
- Average drugs per encounter: 6.12 (exceeding WHO standard <2).
- 85.59% of antibiotics were injectable (higher than WHO standard 13.4-24.1%).
- Antibiotics prescribed by generic name: 25.76%.
Conclusions:
- Significant polypharmacy, high injectable antibiotic utilization, and low generic prescribing were observed.
- Recommendations include continuous audits, staff training, and updated treatment protocols.
Background:
The irrational use of antibiotics is a global issue and it can lead to morbidity, mortality, and increased health care costs. Hence, proper use of antibiotics is imperative and should be included in the pharmaceutical care plan.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the prescribing pattern of antibiotics for children using WHO core prescribing indicators.
Materials And Methods:
A prospective, observational study was carried for 6 months in the pediatric department at a tertiary care hospital, Pune. The WHO prescribing indicators were used to evaluate the prescriptions, and the ideal WHO range was considered as a determining factor for rational prescription.
Results:
A total of 302 patients were included in the study, with a mean patient age of 4.92 ± 4 years. The average number of drugs per encounter was 6.12 (WHO standard is less than 2). The percentage of antibiotics prescribed was 26.3% with an average of 1.63 antibiotics per prescription. Of the 493 antibiotics, 85.59% were injectable which is higher than the WHO standard of 13.4-24.1%. A near-optimal value of 99.59% antibiotics was prescribed from the hospital formulary which is similar to WHO standards, and the antibiotics prescribed with generic names were 25.76%. The most common class of antibiotics prescribed were cephalosporins and penicillins.
Conclusion:
Polypharmacy, high injectable use, and non-adherence to generic prescription were common in our tertiary care center. Continuous audits, training, and new treatment protocols are recommended.
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