European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

STUDY OF DRUG PRESCRIPTION PATTERNS IN ENT OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

*Dr. Ojasvi Gaude, Dr. Sunita De Sa and Dr. Aditi Kudchadkar

ABSTRACT

Aims and objectives: The purpose of the study was to analyse drug prescription patterns in out-patient department of ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) in a tertiary care hospital in Goa. Materials and methods: A total of 600 prescriptions were assessed in this prospective cross sectional observational study over a period of 13 months in Goa Medical College, Goa. The collected data was analysed using MS Excel and expressed in form of percentages. Results: Among the 600 prescriptions, 65% patients were females and 35% were females. Majority of the patients were from the age group of 30-39 years. Ear diseases were most common (39%), followed by the throat (17.3%) and the nose (10.6%). On an average 5.9 drugs were given per prescription. Out of 3591 drugs maximum (725) belonged to antimicrobial class. 164 drugs out of 1872 formulations were prescribed in generic names. Conclusion: Studying drug prescription patterns as well as conducting drug utilization studies would help in rational use of drugs and facilitate appropriate patient care.

Keywords: Prescription, Polypharmacy, Essential drug lists, WHO INRUD indicators.