Abstract
A ten year (2006 – 2015) retrospective study was conducted using records from the case files of patients handled at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (UDUVTH) in order to ascertain the pattern and problems associated with drug prescriptions in the management of diseases presented to the hospital. The results obtained show that, a total number of 622 patients comprising cattle (4.80%), goats (16.9%), sheep (33%), birds (11.3%), horses (1.1%), dogs (28.6%), cats (2.9%), rabbits (0.8%) and others (0.3%) were presented. Of the total number of 622, 537 (86.2%) received various medicaments ranging from antibacterial drugs (39.1%), anthelmintics (18.1%), acaricides (4.4%), haemoparasiticides (1.3%), antidiarrhoic (2.5%) and analgesic (4.3%). Other drugs dispensed were dietary supplements/vitamins (17.7%), fluids/electrolytes (2,5%), anticoccidialsm (3.7%) and unspecific agents (5.8%) in retrospective study of drug use and prescription pattern at the UDUVTH, Sokoto. 20% of the drugs were given by oral route of administration while parenteral and topical routes constitute 74.2 and 10.3%, respectively. The route of administration of 4% of the medications was not specified. Multiple drug therapy overwhelmed the practice with 80.41% while inappropriate prescription and drug combination was 1.03% of all the drugs used over the study period. The study revealed that antibacterials and anthelmintics are the most widely used drugs and parenteral route of drug administration and polytherapy were the dominant practice in the hospital. Key words: Retrospective study, prescription pattern, UDUVTH, Sokoto, North-western Nigeria.
Highlights
The primary purpose of veterinary drugs, biologics and pesticide chemicals is for the health and welfare of all animals
Species of animals presented to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (UDUVTH)
The result indicates that a total number of 622 patients were presented to the hospital during the period under review
Summary
Case files of animal patients treated at the large, small as well as ambulatory clinic of the hospital between January 2006 and December 2015 were examined. The species treated, clinical diagnosis made, drugs prescribed and dispensed, number of drugs per visit, routes of administration and pattern of prescription were noted and documented. Pattern of prescription in this write-up means the nature of the drug itself whether the drug is in tablets, suspensions et.c, the frequency and the route of administration, the age, sex and species of the animal and considering the drug combination and the dosage by which the drug is being prescribed. A prescription is termed standard when it considered all the above mentioned subjects on the prescription form and poor when it those not report them. The results obtained for the period were analyzed using descriptive statistics and expressed as percentages
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