WHO/INRUD drug use indicators at primary healthcare centers in Alexandria, Egypt

Abstract

Abstract Background and objective Appropriate use of drugs is one essential element in achieving quality of health and medical care for patients and the community. The study aims to measure the performance of 10 primary health care centers (PHCCs) in Alexandria, Egypt regarding the use of drugs using the WHO/INRUD drug use indicators: prescribing, patient care and facility-specific indicators. Subject and methods One-thousand prescribing encounters were investigated for a period from January to December 2010. Three-hundred patients and 10 pharmacists were interviewed. Data entry and analysis were conducted using SPSS version 19. Mean, median and SD were measured. An ANOVA test was applied. Results Prescribing indicators were within optimal or slightly below the optimal value except encounters with antibiotics prescribed that were higher than the optimal value. The difference between PHCCs was statistically significant for all prescribing indicators (P = 0.000). Concerning patient care indicators, average consultation and dispensing times were short, and there was no drug labeling at all. The difference between PHCCs was significant for all patient care indicators except the percentage of drugs labeled and patient’s knowledge of correct dosage. Both facility-specific indicators were below the optimal value. Conclusion Prescribing indicators were below optimum except average drugs/encounter and encounters with injection prescribed. Patient care indicators were below the optimal level especially for average consultation dispensing times and drug labeling. Facility-specific indicators were below optimum.