Prescribing Auditing of Analgesics in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Pain is the most common symptom prompting patients to seek medical attention and is reported by morethan 80% of individuals who visit the hospital. The study of prescribing auditing is a significant constituent of medical audit which helps in monitoring, evaluating and building required modifications in the prescribing practices to attain a rational and cost effective medical care. The aim of this research was to evaluate the prescribing pattern of analgesics in a tertiary care hospital. 430 patients were selected from the OPD over a period of 6 months for the present study. The study shows that, anti-ulcer drugs were prescribed along with analgesics to reduce the Gastric complications. The result shows that, paracetamol and diclofenac were the most commonly prescribed analgesic. Minimum number of patients were treated by newly marketed analgesics. The use of analgesics depends upon the severity of pain. In mild pain, single analgesics are commonly used where as two or more analgesics are used in moderate and severe pain. The study summarizes that, the cost of therapy can be reduced by changing of prescription of drugs in brand name to Generic name, also this plays an important role in rational use of drug.