A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON DRUG PRESCRIBING PATTERN IN GENERAL MEDICINE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT OF TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Dr. Joga Sasidhar*, Adrin Criz and Anupriya

ABSTRACT

Background: Prescription pattern monitoring studies are the drug usage studies with the major focus on prescribing, dispensing and administering of drugs. In MICU, critically ill patients are admitted and they usually receive large number of drugs of different classes. Conducting periodic evaluation of pattern of drug usage in hospital setting is essential to critically evaluate the current hospital drug policies and to make guidelines to improve the drug usage pattern. Aim: The aim of our study is to determine the drug prescribing pattern among the critically ill patients admitted in the medicine ICU. Objectives: To evaluate the drug prescription patterns of intensive care patients of tertiary care hospitals and to correlate them with the disease patterns and patient outcomes. And to assess the rationality of these prescriptions using WHO core drug prescribing indicators. Methodology: A record based retrospective study was conducted among 170 inpatient cases over a period of 6 months in general medicine intensive care unit at MIMS Teaching Hospital, Mandya. Result: A total of 170 patients were evaluated, of which 65.8% were males. Majority of patients fall in the age group of 60 years and above. The highest number of patients were admitted for ACS with MI with others (23.5%). Most of the drugs were prescribed in brand name and the average number of drug per prescription was 7.5. Conclusion: Our study concludes that it is the responsibility of the clinical pharmacist to perform the periodical drug utilization studies in order to know the drug prescribing patterns.

Keywords: Prescription pattern monitoring studies, Medicine intensive care unit, Word Health Organization Prescribing Indicators, Essential drug list.