DRUG PRESCRIBING PATTERN OF MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDER PATIENTS AT TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL IN MANDYA: A RECORD- BASED DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Balaji K. G., Amruth B. and Joga Sasidhar*

ABSTRACT

MUSCULOSKELTAL DISORDERS are major cause of morbidities and mortality particularly in patients at the extreme of age, and those with pre-existing joint disease or immune suppression. In India, musculoskeletal disorders are responsible for 1.71 billion people have musculoskeletal condition worldwide. Out of these 18-23% is due to osteoarthritis. Drug utilization research is the study of marketing, distribution, prescription and use of drug in a society with special emphasis on the resulting medical, social and economic consequences. Conducting periodic studies of pattern of drug use in a hospital setting is essential to critically analyse the current hospital drug policies and to make recommendations based on various guideline to improve upon the current drug usage pattern. Objectives: To evaluate the prescribing pattern given to patients admitted with musculoskeletal disorders in general medicine and orthopaedic department and to assess the rationality of these prescriptions given in our hospital using WHO core drug prescribing indicators. Methods and Methodology: It was a record based- descriptive study. The study period was about 6 months and the relevant data was collected from in patient records. Result: A total of 162 prescriptions were collected and analysed for demographic characteristics, disease proportion, and prescribing pattern. Males were more (56.79%) compared to females (43.20%). Majority patients belonged to the age group 46-60 years (34.56%). Our most common musculoskeletal disorder found in the study population were osteoarthritis with comorbidities (57.3%). 878 drugs were found in 162 cases among which NSAID’S was mostly given followed by anti- inflammatory. Aceclofenac+ serratiopetidase were most commonly prescribed NSAID’S. Conclusion: Most of the drugs prescribed were included in the WHO essential drug list, India 2021. It is the responsibility of the clinical pharmacist to perform the periodical drug utilization studies in order to know the drug prescribing pattern and also to know the prevalent disease condition at particular point of time.

Keywords: NSAID’s, Drug prescribing pattern, Musculoskeletal disorders.