ABSTRACT:
Objective: To develop baseline data on drug prescribing pattern and evaluate the rationality of prevalent prescribing practices using WHO core indicators. Methodology: A prospective observational study was carried out for a period of 6 months in the paediatric population having respiratory tract infections. Results: A total of 211 prescriptions were analysed in the study, in which, 124(58.8%) patients were male and 87(41.2%) were female. Paediatric population of the age group 1-3 years were more prone to respiratory tract infections and common disease diagnosed was unspecified lower respiratory tract infection. A total of 885 drugs were prescribed and most commonly prescribed drug was found to be paracetamol-143(67.8%), followed by salbutamol-128 (60.66%), amoxicillin+ clauvalanic acid-93 (44.1%) and budesonide-77 (36.5%). 261(29.49%) oral, 224(25.31%) inhalations, 231(26.1%) injectables were prescribed. 158 fixed dose combination were prescribed. Drugs per prescription was found to be 4.1. 14.01% drugs were prescribed with generic names and 77.4% were prescribed from WHO model list of essential drugs. Percentage of antibiotic prescribed was 93% and injection was 84.36%. The consultation time taken by physician raged between 8-12 minutes and time taken by pharmacist to dispense drugs was 6-14 minutes. Conclusion: The present study was conducted to analyse the rational prescribing of drugs in the paediatric department of a tertiary care hospital using WHO core indicators. Males were more prone to respiratory tract infections and amoxicillin+ clavulanic acid was the most prescribed antibiotic and paracetamol was the most commonly prescribed drug. The study highlights few limitations focusing on the facility indicators due to lack of EDL, hospital formulary or standard guidelines and therefore consideration for better patient care and increased quality of life needs to be monitored. Review on prescribing and dispensing of drugs needs to be done regularly.