European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

PRESCRIBING PATTERN OF TOPICAL CORTICOSTEROIDS IN THE PATIENTS WITH DERMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS VISITING AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, KATHMANDU

Pharsuram Adhikari*, Prashant Kumar Agrawal, Amod Kumar Yadav and Supreme Shrestha

ABSTRACT

Background: The pattern of skin diseases differs significantly between nations and even between regions of the same nation. Different drug classes and combination products are frequently used in dermatology for therapeutic purposes. Topical steroids are well regarded and a valuable tool because of their strong anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects, they are among the most often recommended medications in dermatology. However, these medications have negative side effects and are very likely to be abused by patients and medical practitioners. The main objective of the study was to determine the prescribing pattern of use of topical corticosteroids and decrease irrational prescribing. Method: This was a hospital-based, descriptive study conducted in tertiary care Hospital of Kathmandu, Nepal for three months. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study. Purposive sampling technique was used. Ethical approval was taken prior to study. A total of 381 prescriptions were collected during the study period. The data were collected from patient card and details were filled in the predesigned form. These data were studied and evaluated using SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Results: Total 381 prescriptions were collected and analyzed for demographic profile, disease incidence and drug prescription. The mean age was 35.73 years, with the most common age groups being 21-30 years (24.9%) and 31-40 years (22.6%). Medicines prescribed from the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) was41.84%. Conclusion: The pattern of skin conditions that were frequently seen at hospital in Kathmandu was described in this study, along with the numerous medications that were recommended to treat them. The dermatological problems were found to be higher in females than in males. People between the ages of 21 and 40 were found to be more common, indicating that this age group is more frequently exposed to the aggravating factors that contribute to skin illnesses. This study primarily used topical corticosteroids, antihistamines, and antifungal medications, suggesting that allergies, inflammation, and fungal infections are frequent in these disorders. This study also revealed that Class I Clobetasol cream was the Topical Corticosteroids that was most frequently recommended. The average number of drugs prescribed per patient was slightly higher to WHO’s range.

Keywords: Prescribing pattern, Topical Corticosteroids, dermatological disorders, skin diseases.