Abstract

ASSESSMENT OF PRESCRIPTION PATTERN AT PAEDIATRIC OUTPATIENT CLINIC

Sandipkumar Bhatt*, Avani Patel, Kaushal Prajapati, Rudri Joshi, Milli Patel and Chintan Patel

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Abstract

Background: Drug therapy is considered to be main element of paediatrics health care management. MCI finalized Model prescription format for making prescription. WHO prescribing pattern studies are helpful in exploring the commonly used groups of drugs, polypharmacy, drugs prescribed by generic names and drugs prescribing from National List of Essential Medicine. The aim of this study is to study and assess prescription pattern at outpatient paediatric clinics. Method: It was a Multicentric, Observational, Prospective study conducted for a time period of 6 months. The study sample included 962 valid prescriptions of 962 valid pediatric OPD presenting to four pediatric patient clinics in two cities of Gujarat. Confirmed errors in the prescriptions were reviewed and analyzed. Results: Out of 962 prescriptions of 962 patients average number of drugs per prescription was 2.66 drugs/prescription. Out of 962 paediatric outpatients, 538 were male patients (55.93%) and 424 were female patients (44.07%). Mean age of subjects was 2.9 years. Out of 2559 drugs, 52 (2.03%) drugs were prescribed by generic name, 422 (16.49%) antibiotics, 46 (1.79%) injections and 2555 (88.12%) drugs were prescribed from National List of Essential Medicine. Almost all prescription details were completed in prescriptions. Total 25 types of formulations and 7 types of Route of Administration were prescribed. Moreover, there were 98 types of classes of drugs, 422 antibiotics and 1118 Fixed Dose Combinations were prescribed. Conclusion: The pattern of prescription in terms of completeness and quality was good and appropriate. In our study we found prescribing pattern satisfactory.

Keywords: paediatrics; prescription; prescribing pattern; outpatient.