Study on prescription pattern for osteoarthritis in a tertiary care teaching hospital: A retrospective study

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Osteoarthritis is universally known as the most common musculoskeletal disorder. The main issue experienced by the patients is the occurrence of pain, which causes functional disability that ranges from mild to moderate. The aim was to study the prescribing pattern of the drugs used in the management of osteoarthritis. Methodology: A retrospective observational study was carried out for a period of eight months from August 2018 to April 2019; the drug utilization pattern among osteoarthritis patients admitted to the hospital from January 2015- December 2017 was analyzed by collecting their drug therapy details. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: As per our study results, females n=129 (51.4%) diagnosed with osteoarthritis were found to be more than male patients n=121 (48.6%). The knee joint n=167 (66.8%) was the most commonly affected joint among the patients. NSAIDs 306 (35.01%) were the most commonly prescribed agent. Oral therapy 805 (92.2%) was preferred over topical agents n=69 (7.8%). Conclusion: By analyzing the pattern of drug use among osteoarthritis patients, this study is expected to improve awareness of rational prescription among doctors. The study also concludes on the essentiality of National Drug Policy in promoting rational drug use. Keywords: Drug utilization; NSAIDs; osteoarthritis; national drug policy; awareness.