Prescription Pattern of Drugs prescribed in the Outpatient Department of General Medicine in a Tertiary Care Center in Palakkad – An Observational Study

A key component of efficient healthcare delivery is the prudent use of medications which guarantees that all patients receive the right drugs based on their clinical needs

The growing population of India and rising disease rate highlight the need for careful review of prescription procedures especially in tertiary care facilities where a significant number of patients are admitted

In order to spot trends encourage responsible drug use and improve patient outcomes it is essential to evaluate prescription patterns in General Medicine outpatient departments (OPDs)

The average number of medications prescribed in each encounter the percentage of medications provided by generic name the percentage of prescriptions including injections the percentage of prescriptions including antibiotics and the percentage of drugs prescribed from formularies or essential medicines list are the basic prescribing indicators that the World Health Organization has established to assess prescription practices These metrics act as standards for evaluating the calibre of prescribing practices and pinpointing areas that require attention

Such prescription practices have a variety of ramifications Concurrent use of several medications or polypharmacy increases the risk of negative drug responses drug-drug interactions and higher medical expenses

The low prevalence of generic prescriptions raises treatment costs and may make it more difficult for patients to follow their treatment plans

Additionally antimicrobial resistance a growing public health issue in India can be exacerbated by the improper use of antibiotics

The effectiveness of interventions meant to address these problems has varied Over the course of three years a study conducted in central India assessed the effects of prescription audits in conjunction with feedback mechanisms Other prescribing trends stayed mostly the same but generic prescribing and adherence to the National List of Essential Medicines saw a little improvement

This implies that although audit and feedback have their uses in order to bring about significant change they might need to be a part of a larger more comprehensive plan

Continuous monitoring and assessment are essential due to the dynamic nature of prescribing patterns and regional disparities

Knowing the current prescription trends in tertiary care general medicine outpatient departments can help guide focused initiatives encourage responsible drug use and improve patient outcomes

In order to identify areas for improvement and add to the body of knowledge already available on rational drug use this study intends to evaluate the prescribing trends in the General Medicine outpatient department of Government Medical College Palakkad which is a tertiary care center in India using the WHO prescribing indicators

Prescription pattern analysis helps to determine the degree of polypharmacy the current trend of prescriptions the demographic distribution of patients receiving drugs the presence of adverse drug reactions and drug drug interactions

There are only a few studies on the drug prescribing patterns in the General Medicine outpatient departments in Kerala Therefore this study is crucial to address the gaps in the literature on this topic