Prescription writing trends of antihistamines at the university health centre.

The aim of the present study was to establish antihistamines drug prescribing pattern in order to improve the rational prescribing of antihistamines by physicians at Panjab University Health Centre. The study was performed in between the months of November 2005 to April 2006. Five hundred out patients were monitored and data was collected on WHO-based prescription-auditing performa. Demographic analysis of this prospective study revealed that out of the 500 patients, 293 (58.6 %) were male and 207 (41.4 %) were female and maximum patients were in the age group of 21-40 (34.8 %). Chlorpheniramine maleate (235 prescriptions) was the highest prescribed among antihistamine prescriptions (36.89 %) followed by diphenhydramine hydrochloride (186 prescriptions, 29.19%), cetirizine (175 prescriptions, 27.47 %) and promethazine (41 prescriptions, 6.4%). In comparison to generic drugs (169 prescriptions, 26.54%), branded were more prescribed at PUHC. Majority of antihistamines were in form of tablets (414 prescriptions, 64.99%) followed by liquid formulations (195 prescriptions, 30.61%) and injections (28 prescriptions, 4.40%). The average cost of different antihistamine drugs prescribed was as follows: diphenhydramine hydrochloride Rs. 34.74 followed by promethzine Rs. 22.46, chlorpheniramine maleate Rs. 15.30, and cetirizine Rs. 13.50. Average numbers of drugs prescribed per prescription were 1.27. The average consulting and dispensing time was 4.82 and 3.56 min, respectively. Out of the 500 university patients, 258 (51.6%) had the knowledge regarding the medication prescribed and 242 (48.4%) were unaware of the medication prescribed.