English

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Drug utilization studies conducted at regular intervals help to guide the physician in prescribing drugs rationally. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to assess the drug utilization patterns of antihypertensive in geriatric and non-geriatric patients in a tertiary care government teaching hospital. METHODS: A prospective cross sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care government teaching hospital. Data was collected from patients who have been diagnosed with hypertension as per JNC-7 guidelines and patients receiving or prescribed with antihypertensive medications were included. Frequency and proportions of utilization of antihypertensive medications in geriatric and Non-geriatric patients were charted and figured. RESULTS: A total of 226 prescriptions were analyzed during the three month study period. The most common medication prescribed for hypertension in the study was ARBs 27.77%, 34.37% in Geriatric and Non-geriatric patients respectively. The ARBs prescribed pattern was followed by ACEIs and CCBs. The most frequently prescribed anti-hypertensive fixed dose combination therapy was ARB+D, ACEI+D followed by CCB+BB in both Geriatric and Non-geriatric groups. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that the prescription pattern of antihypertensive was based upon the duration, severity of illness and the associated co-morbidities, it does not depend on the age of the patients.