Drug utilization and prescription pattern study in medicine intensive care unit at tertiary care teaching hospital

Abstract

Background: Drug utilization evaluation performs a key role in the managing health-care system to evaluate, understand, interpret, and improve the prescribing, administration, and use of medications. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study is to evaluate and compare the drug prescribing trends in the intensive care unit (ICU) and correlate them with the disease patterns and patients outcome. Materials and Methods: The case records of 150 patients admitted to the ICU at Shri. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sarvopchar Rugnalaya, a teaching hospital in Solapur, during 1-year period from June 1, 2017, to May 31, 2018, were analyzed. The variables collected were demographic and clinical characteristics. We also considered the duration of hospitalization, indications, and utilization of different drugs. The total number of drugs, dose, route, sensitivity pattern, and cost was collected from patients’ case paper. Results: Among 150 evaluated patients, the average age was 45 ± 17 years. The average length of stay at ICU was 4 to 10 days. The average number of drugs per prescription was 5 to 10. The parenteral route (61%) followed by the enteral route (27%) was common route used. Antimicrobial drugs and gastrointestinal drugs were the most commonly prescribed class of drugs, i.e., (30%) and (21%), respectively. The 1235 generic and 174 branded drugs were prescribed. The fixed drug combinations were 427 while single drug utilization was 715 in number. Conclusion: Antimicrobials are the most commonly used drugs. There is a need of antimicrobial agents’ usage guidelines and restriction policies for the rational prescribing of antimicrobials.