A Tejus1, S K Saxena2, A K Dwivedi3, Md Fadil Salmani4, Sapna Pradhan5. 1. Graded Specialist (Pharmacology), Armed Forces Medical Stores Depot, Lucknow, India. 2. Senior Advisor & Head (Psychiatry), Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt, India. 3. Graded Specialist (Psychiatry), Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt, India. 4. Tutor (Pharmacology), Army College of Medical Sciences, Delhi Cantt, New Delhi, India. 5. Associate Professor (Pharmacology), Army College of Medical Sciences, Delhi Cantt, New Delhi, India.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: World Health Organization has prescribed drug use indicators for evaluating rational prescribing. Very few studies have been conducted on rational prescriptions for psychotropic drugs; hence, this study was undertaken at a tertiary care center of North India. METHODS: After obtaining approval of the Institutional Ethics Committee, all prescriptions deposited with the dispensary of the psychiatry department of the hospital between 01 October 2017 and 31 December 2017 were included in the study. The prescriptions were analyzed for drug use indicators, namely the average number of drugs per encounter, percentage of prescriptions with generic name, percentage of prescriptions from the essential drug list, percentage of prescriptions with antibiotics, and percentage of prescriptions with an injection. In addition, the prescriptions were analyzed for patterns of psychotropics prescribed. RESULTS: A total of 3770 prescriptions were analyzed. On an average, 2.35 medicines were prescribed per prescription. Injectable comprised 2.39% of prescriptions and fixed drug combinations were 0.16% of the total. Of all prescriptions, 91.3% were by generic name, while 55.02% of prescriptions were from the essential drug list. Polypharmacy constituted 4.53% of prescriptions. Risperidone, escitalopram, sodium valproate, and clonazepam were the most commonly prescribed drugs. CONCLUSION: While we fared well with respect to the percentage of prescriptions with injections and those with an antibiotic, we have not been able to achieve the prescribed standards in prescription with generic names, number of drugs per prescription, and prescriptions from the essential drug list. The study emphasizes that there is scope for improvement.
BACKGROUND: World Health Organization has prescribed drug use indicators for evaluating rational prescribing. Very few studies have been conducted on rational prescriptions for psychotropic drugs; hence, this study was undertaken at a tertiary care center of North India. METHODS: After obtaining approval of the Institutional Ethics Committee, all prescriptions deposited with the dispensary of the psychiatry department of the hospital between 01 October 2017 and 31 December 2017 were included in the study. The prescriptions were analyzed for drug use indicators, namely the average number of drugs per encounter, percentage of prescriptions with generic name, percentage of prescriptions from the essential drug list, percentage of prescriptions with antibiotics, and percentage of prescriptions with an injection. In addition, the prescriptions were analyzed for patterns of psychotropics prescribed. RESULTS: A total of 3770 prescriptions were analyzed. On an average, 2.35 medicines were prescribed per prescription. Injectable comprised 2.39% of prescriptions and fixed drug combinations were 0.16% of the total. Of all prescriptions, 91.3% were by generic name, while 55.02% of prescriptions were from the essential drug list. Polypharmacy constituted 4.53% of prescriptions. Risperidone, escitalopram, sodium valproate, and clonazepam were the most commonly prescribed drugs. CONCLUSION: While we fared well with respect to the percentage of prescriptions with injections and those with an antibiotic, we have not been able to achieve the prescribed standards in prescription with generic names, number of drugs per prescription, and prescriptions from the essential drug list. The study emphasizes that there is scope for improvement.
Authors: Sylvie Petitjean; Dieter Ladewig; Christoph R Meier; Roman Amrein; Gerhard A Wiesbeck Journal: Int Clin Psychopharmacol Date: 2007-09 Impact factor: 1.659