Drug use pattern in children at a teaching hospital
Dimri, S.; Tiwari, P.; Basu, S.; Parmar, V.R.
Indian Pediatrics 46(2): 165-167
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 19242036 Document Number: 633751
This study aimed to evaluate drug utilization in pediatric out-patient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. The patient and drug information of 254 patients was analyzed for WHO recommended prescribing indicators. The average number of drugs per prescription was 2.31 and 45% of medicines were prescribed from National List of Essential Medicines. The use of injectibles was low (1.18%) while an antibiotic was prescribed in 29.1%. Only 5.8% medicines were prescribed by generic name. Interventions are required to improve prescribing by generic name so as to further rationalize drug use in pediatric population.