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Rational Use of Medicines: An Audit of Private Practitioners’ Prescription

We conducted this study to ascertain the prescribing behaviour among the private practitioners and to find out the deficiencies therein. A total of 389 outpatient prescriptions were reviewed for standard prescribing norms, therapeutic class and number of drugs prescribed and per day cost of prescription was derived. The prescriptions lacked vital information pertaining to patient’s age, sex, diagnosis and dosage. Antibiotics were the most widely prescribed drugs (37 per cent), followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and multivitamins. More than 65 per cent of NSAIDs were prescribed in the form of fixed-dose combinations. Polypharmacy (four or more drugs prescribed) was observed in 38.5 per cent prescriptions. None of the prescriptions carried drugs prescribed by unbranded generic names. Median per day cost of prescription was ₹29.30. The study concluded that the prescribing behaviour was irrational and largely, the prescriptions were incomplete. Implementing guidelines for appropriate prescription writing, standard treatment guidelines, emphasizing the importance of these practices in medical school curricula and continuing medical education programmes are necessary for more rational and safer drug prescribing and efficient drug therapy.