ASSESSMENT OF PRESCRIBING PATTERN, COMPLIANCE AND ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS WITH ANTIEPILEPTIC PHARMACOTHERAPY

Dr. Basavanna P. L.*, Ashique C. H., Asna Ashraf, Priya George and Raslimarva C.

ABSTRACT

Approximately 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the common neurological diseases globally. People with epilepsy require prolonged treatment and monitoring. The main goal in the treatment of epilepsy should be adequate control of seizures, without causing any life threatening reactions due to medications. The objective of study was to assess the pattern of prescribing, compliance and adverse reactions with antiepileptic drugs used in different types of epilepsy. A prospective observational analysis of epilepsy cases admitted to KR Hospital over a period of 6month from November 2018 to April 2019 was carried out with a sample size of 120. Patient’s demographic data were collected by using patient’s data collection form. And ADRs were assessed by using Naranjo causality assessment scale and Hartwig severity scal The data obtained was analyzed by using SPSS version 20. In our result majority of the patients were female and age group was 31-45 year. Generalized tonic-clonic seizure (43.3%) was the major type of epilepsy (n=52). Phenytoin was the commonest drug prescribed for its treatment (77.5%) followed by levitriacetam. Common adverse effect associated with antiepileptic drugs were skin rashes, headache, gum bleeding and thrombocytopenia. Skin rashes was the most commonly reported ADR (n=7). We found that phenytoin was the antiepileptic drugs causing most number of severe ADRs. 43.24% ADRs were mild, 54.05% were moderate and 2.7% were severe. 37.83% ADRs were probable, 59.46% were possible and 2.7% were definite category. According to the study4 49.2%% were compliant to the medication while 50.8% were incompliant. 63.3% of the patients stated education as the reason for non- compliance. GTCS was the most commonest type of epilepsy recorded. Our study reveals that the conventional AEDs are commonly used. Poly-therapy was the most preferred therapy pattern for epileptic patients, this indicates that the epileptic patients should be closely monitored for ADRs, to avoid clinically significant harmful consequences. Most of the patients are drug compliant.

Keywords: Epilepsy, Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), Prescribing pattern, Adverse drug reactions (ADRs), compliance.