Antihypertensive prescription patterns of nonspecialist general practitioners in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Context: Concerns have been expressed about the antihypertensive prescription patterns of nonspecialist physicians who care for the majority of patients with hypertension in developing countries. Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the antihypertensive prescription pattern of nonspecialist general medical practitioners in Lagos, Nigeria. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional survey carried out among nonspecialist general medical practitioners within Lagos State, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A total of 132 doctors completed questionnaires about their demographics, duration and location of practice, and antihypertensive prescription patterns. Statistical Analysis Used: Continuous variables are presented as means or medians while categorical variables are presented as percentages. Comparison between means was done using the Student's t-test, while comparison between percentages was carried out using Chi-square test. Results: Majority (61.2%) considered thiazide diuretics their first choice antihypertensive. The most frequently prescribed antihypertensives were calcium channel blockers (CCBs) (88.6%), thiazide diuretics (85.6%), and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) (84.8%). These were also the most frequently combined with the CCB-thiazide diuretic combination being the most frequently prescribed (81.1%) followed by the ACEIs - thiazide diuretic combination (65.9%). The most frequently considered factors when prescribing antihypertensive medications were side effects of the medications (92.4%), additional benefits beyond blood pressure (BP) lowering (90.9%), patients' BP at the time of presentation (89.4%), dosage frequency of the drug (87.9%), and available scientific evidence for efficacy in lowering BP (87.1%). Conclusions: The antihypertensive prescription pattern of nonspecialist physicians practicing in Lagos aligns with current hypertension treatment guidelines.