ASSESSMENT OF DRUG UTILIZATION PATTERN BY USING WHO PRESCRIBING INDICATOR AMONG INPATIENTS IN THE ORTHOPEDIC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN RAJSHAHI, PABNA AND KUSHTIA DISTRICTS, BANGLADESH

Most. Reshma Akter*, Md. Raihan Parvez, Md. Shafiqul Islam, Mahfuza Khatun, and Mst Mahmuda Akter

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the prescribing pattern of analgesics and others medicines in the orthopedic inpatient departments of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), Pabna Medical Hospital (PMH) and Kushtia Medical Hospital (KMH), Bangladesh. Materials and Method: Prescriptions were randomly collected from the patients admitted in the orthopedic department and data were recorded using pre-designed questionnaire form. Data analysis was carried out by using MS Excel 2007 and summarized as counts and percentages. Result: A total of 231 patients, both male 160 (69.3%) and female 71(30.7%) were included. Total number of prescribed medicines was1576, accounting 6.82 medicines per prescription. Among them, analgesics, antibiotics, calcium supplements, gastro-protective agents, and others were 360 (22.8%), 351 (22.3%), 67 (4.3%), 270 (17.1%), and 528 (33.5%), respectively. Of all the prescribed analgesics, NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) were 338 (94%). Compare to total antibiotics 351 (22.3%) prescribed, cefixime trihydrate, ceftriaxone, flucloxacillin, cefuroxime, ciprofloxacin, were 34 (9.7%), 134(38.2%), 127 (36.1%), 28 (8%), 7 (2%), and others 21 (6%) respectively. Calcium plus vitamin-D occupied the highest proportion (86.6%) of the prescribed calcium supplements. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were the most frequently 270 (98.9%) prescribed gastro-protective agents. Data revealed that no medicine was prescribed by generic name. Maximum number of medicines (833, 52.9%) were prescribed to be administered by parenteral route and followed by oral (660, 41.9%), topical (4, 0.3%) and others routes (79, 5%), respectively. Conclusion: NSAIDs, especially ketorolac tromethamine was the most frequently prescribed analgesic in the orthopedic department followed by gastro-protective agents. Average number of medicines per prescription (6.82) was significantly higher than the WHO recommended values (1.6-1.8). For rational use of medicine, drug should be prescribed by generic name.

Keywords: Prescription, Analgesics, NSAIDs, Orthopedic, Inpatients.