Publication: Drug Utilization Study in Outpatient Department of Ophthalmology in Tertiary Care Hospital
Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
The advancement in drug development and availability of newer drugs has improved
overall health services including decrease in mortality and hospital stay. Along, it
has brought negative impacts such as polypharmacy and associated adverse drug
reactions and antimicrobial resistance. Drug utilization research is an essential
approach to understand the drug use pattern, identify the early signs of such
irrational drug use and to improve quality of drug use.
Objective
To study the drug utilization pattern in the Ophthalmology Outpatient department
(OPD) of Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital (DH-KUH).
Method
A descriptive, cross sectional study was conducted from March 2019 to August
2019 in patients attending OPD of Ophthalmology in Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu
University Hospital. Prescriptions of 311 patients were analyzed using World Health
Organization (WHO) International Network of Rational Use of Drug (INRUD) and
additional other indices. The descriptive data was presented in mean and standard
deviation.
Result
The average number of drugs per prescription was 2.10±1.35. Out of total 311
prescriptions, drugs prescribed in generic name were 152 (23.30%). Total antibiotics
encountered were 247 (37.90%) and total drugs prescribed from National Essential
Medicine List (NEML) were 371 (56.90%). Antibiotics 247 (37.90%) were the most
commonly prescribed drugs followed by lubricants 146 (22.40%).
Conclusion
Practice of polypharmacy was very high. Most of the drugs were prescribed in brand
names and antibiotics were the most frequently used drugs.
KEY WORDS
Drug utilization, Ophthalmology OPD, Rational drug use, WHO-INRUD
Description
Shrestha U,1 Shakya Shrestha S,1 Shrestha A,2 Poudel U,1 Manandhar Shrestha JT1
1Department of Pharmacology
2Department of Opthalmology
School of Medical Sciences, Kathmandu University
Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital
Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal
Keywords
Drug utilization, Ophthalmology OPD, Rational drug use, WHO-INRUD