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. 2011 Jan;3(1):165-9.
doi: 10.4103/0975-7406.76502.

A survey: Precepts and practices in drug use indicators at Government Healthcare Facilities: A Hospital-based prospective analysis

Hettihewa L Menik  1 , Amrasinghe I Isuru, Subasinghe Sewwandi
Affiliations

A survey: Precepts and practices in drug use indicators at Government Healthcare Facilities: A Hospital-based prospective analysis

Hettihewa L Menik et al. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Background: We planned to identify the difficulties in practicing the rational use of medicine in health facilities, using drug-use indicators.

Materials and methods: We studied the average consultation time (ACT), average number of drugs per encounter (ANDE), percentage of drugs by generic name (PDPG), percentage of encounters with antibiotics (PAP), percentage of encounters with injection (PIP), percentage of drugs prescribed from the essential drugs list (PEDL), using pretested questionnaires in different hospital types.

Results: There was a higher value of ACT in Teachin hospital (TH,2.31 min) and general hospital (GH,2.17 min) compared to district hospital (DH,0.83 min). ANDE was high in all three categories (3.24, 2.88, and 3.26 in TH, GH, and DH, respectively). There was a significant difference in ANDE in all three categories (P≤0.05). There was no significant difference in the PDPG among all categories of Hospitals. PAP was highest in DH (80%) and lowest in GH (46%). PIP was highest in DH (6%), 4% in GH, and lowest in TH (3%) in the Galle district. PEDL in TH, GH, and DH were 97, 100, and 99%, respectively. Prescribers use a short consultation time and practice polypharmacy, and the use of generic and essential drug lists is significantly high. Antibiotic usage is high, but usage of injections is low. We further noted prescriptions with absence of the diagnosis, sex, and prescriber's identity.

Conclusion: : We conclude that some areas like polypharmacy, high usage of antibiotics, and poor prescription writing practices are high and they can be addressed by in-service awareness programs for noted prescriber errors.

Keywords: Drug use pattern; essential drug list; polypharmacy; prescriber errors; rational prescription.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Average consultation time (ACT) in different hospitals using ANOVA. Shows the changes in ACT in different hospitals and we observed the ACT value to be 2.31±0.16 in TH, 2.17±0.08 in GH, and 0.83±0.05 in DH, respectively, M±SEM. The three means are significantly different (P≤0.05)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Average number of drugs per encounter (ANDE) in different hospitals using ANOVA. Shows that the changes in ANDE in different hospitals and the ANDE value are 3.24±0.08 in TH, 2.88±0.10 in GH, and 3.26±0.17 in DH, respectively, M±SEM. The three means are significantly different (P≤0.05)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name (PDPG) in different hospitals using ANOVA. Figure 3 shows the changes in PDPG in different hospitals and we observed the PDPG value as 78% in TH, 78% in GH, and 71% in DH, respectively
Figure 4
Figure 4
Percentage of encounters with an antibiotic prescribed (PAP) in different hospitals using ANOVA. It shows the changes in PAP in different hospitals and we observed the PAP values as 47% in TH, 46%in GH and 80% in DH, respectively
Figure 5
Figure 5
Percentage of encounters with an injection prescribed (PIP) in different hospitals using ANOVA. Figure 5 shows the changes in PIP in different hospitals and we observed the PIP values to be 3% in TH, 4% in GH, and 6% in DH, respectively
Figure 6
Figure 6
Percentage of drugs prescribed from essential drugs list or formulary (PEDL) in different hospitals using ANOVA. Figure 6 shows the changes in PEDL in different hospitals and we observed the PEDL value to be 97% in TH, 100% in GH, and 99% in DH, respectively
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