Cross Sectional Prospective Study on Drug Utilization in an Outpatient Pediatric Department of Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Pediatric patients form a special group of population and are more vulnerable to the various adverse events related to drug use, it is important to study drug use patterns in pediatric population. To evaluate the drug utilization in an outpatient pediatric department of tertiary care hospital (SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre) using WHO prescribing indicators and to assess the prescriptions for the WHO recommended complementary indicators. A cross sectional prospective study was carried out in the pediatric department involving patients up to 12 years of age. Out of 240 prescriptions collected, 680 medicines prescribed were analyzed, in which 85.0% of medicines were prescribed from hospital formulary. Medicines prescribed by generic name were 20% and the percentage encounter with an antibiotic and injection prescribed was 10.6% and 1.5%. Percentage cost spent on antibiotics and injections of the total drug cost was found to be 41.61%, 6.4%. The percentage of prescribing by generic name, percentage of encounter with antibiotic and injections were less. However there was overprescribing of drugs to the outpatients that need a special attention of all doctors and clinical pharmacists to work together to establish a rational and practical protocol for clinical conditions.