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. 2022 Sep 6:10:20503121221122422.
doi: 10.1177/20503121221122422. eCollection 2022.

Evaluation of prescription completeness, rational drug-use patterns using WHO prescribing, patient-care and facility indicators in Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Yohannes Shumet Yimer  1 , Getu Tesfaw Addis  1 , Muluken Adela Alemu  1
Affiliations

Evaluation of prescription completeness, rational drug-use patterns using WHO prescribing, patient-care and facility indicators in Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Yohannes Shumet Yimer et al. SAGE Open Med. .

Abstract

Objective: Irrational medicine use results in diseases worsening, disability, death, and wastage of limited resources. This study was predominantly aimed to evaluate the rationality of medicine use patterns by assessing prescribing, patient-care, and facility indicators at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital by using World Health Organization core drug use indicators.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was conducted to collect prescribing indicator data from 780 prescriptions retrospectively from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 at outpatient pharmacy of the hospital and exit interview was held prospectively on 150 patients to evaluate patient-care indicators. In addition, indicators for health-facility were assessed by actual observation of the presence of different guidelines. Descriptive analysis of the collected data was computed using SPSS version 25.

Result: Totally, 1521 drugs were prescribed to 780 encounters. On average, 1.95 drugs were prescribed per prescription. Percentage of encounters by generic name, encounters with antibiotics and injection, and drugs from essential drug list were 99.9%, 35.4%, 15.3%, and 100%, respectively. From healthcare provider-related information, the names of prescribers and dispensers were correctly written in 93.59% and 77.69%, respectively. Frequency (97.18%) and route (86.15%) of drug administration were better stated in the reviewed encounters, whereas dosage form is poorly stated (7.44%). Labeling of dispensed medicine was obtained for only 10% of patients and patient knowledge for correct dose was 94%. Availability of facility indicators was 95%.

Conclusion: From the results of this study, it is possible to conclude that the prescribing, patient-care, and facility indicators did not fulfill many World Health Organization standards. Therefore, it is important if all prescribers, dispensers, patients themselves, and the governing bodies take an action to improve the prescribing and patient-care indicators for the best of the end users.

Keywords: Ethiopia; Patient-care indicators; health-facility indicators; prescribing indicators.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Number of drugs per encounter at DTCSH 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 (N = 780).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Completeness of encounters at DTCSH, 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 (N = 780).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Patients’ knowledge on medicines at DTCSH, 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 (N = 150).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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