A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON DRUG PRESCRIBING PATTERN IN RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTION IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Dr. Joga Sasidhar*, Madhu Kumari, Jyothi Alex and Meghana B. H.

ABSTRACT

Background: Respiratory tract infections are major cause of morbidities and mortality particularly in patients at the extreme of age, and those with pre-existing lung disease or immune suppression. In India, acute respiratory tract infections are responsible for 1 million deaths. Out of these 10-15% is due to acute lower respiratory tract infection. 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. Objectives: To evaluate the prescribing pattern given to patients admitted with respiratory tract infections in general medicine 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 retrospective study. The study period was about 6 months and the relevant data was collected from in patient records. Result: A total of 180 prescriptions were collected from general medicine department and analysed for demographic characteristics, disease proportion, and prescribing pattern. Males were more (55.5%) compared to females (44.4%). Majority patients belonged to age group 18-30 years (28.8%). Our most common respiratory infections found in study population were LRTI with comorbidities (57.3%) followed by common cold (11.11%). 1068 drugs were found in 180 cases among which supportive therapy (30.6%) was mostly given followed by antibiotics (23.5%). Cephalosporins were most commonly prescribed antibiotics followed by Amikacin. Most commonly prescribed dosage form were injections. Conclusion: Most of the drugs prescribed were included in the WHO essential drug list, India 2019. 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: Prescribing pattern of respiratory tract infection, Antibiotics.