EVALUATION OF DRUG UTILIZATION PATTERN IN THE PEDIATRIC DEPARTMENT OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN SRINAGAR, JAMMU & KASHMIR, INDIA

Abstract

Introduction: Irrational drug use, especially antimicrobials in a pediatric population, has become a commonly noted practice. Most of the drugsprescribed for children have not been tested in the pediatric population due to the difficulties in carrying out clinical studies in children andethical issues due to children not being able to make their own decisions to participate in a clinical trial. Objective: The main aim of this studywas to evaluate the pediatric drug utilization pattern in a tertiary care hospital. Material and methods: This study was conducted at a Tertiarycare hospital, Srinagar, Jammu &Kashmir, India for a period of 6 months. It was a prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Results: Thisstudy evaluated a total of 205 patients from the inpatient department of the pediatric department of Tertiary care hospital, Srinagar, Jammu &Kashmir, India. Out of 205 patients, 62.4% (128) were male and 37.6% (77) were female. The number of male patients was more than the numberof female patients. A total of 767 medicines were prescribed to 205 patients. Mean ± SEM of medicines prescribed was 3.74 ±0.07. Mean ± SEMof medicines prescribed 125 for male patients was 3.76 ± 0.10, while for female patients it was 3.69 ± 0.11. Conclusion: Development andimplementation of Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) based on essential drug concept and promoting rational drug therapy will lead to moreand more rational prescribing in pediatrics. Periodic prescriptions analysis and effective feedback to clinicians should be done based on results toensure rational prescribing and effective health care management, which will ultimately lead to better child health.