Prescribing Patterns and Errors in Family Practice; a Retrospective Study of Prescribing Records

Background: Irrational prescribing of drugs is a major health problem in medical practice resulting in; ineffective treatment, development of antibiotic-resistant organisms, adverse effects and economic burden on patients and society. Objectives: The main objective of this study was rationalization of prescribing drugs and the specific objectives were to; assess the family physicians' prescribing patterns and errors, evaluate the compatibility of prescribed drugs with the diagnosis according to the clinical practice guidelines for family physicians and also to evaluate the adherence of prescribed drugs to WHO drug use indicators. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of all prescribing records in the family health unit of Kafr-Tanbedy from July 2010 to July 2011 was conducted .All prescriptions were evaluated for the presence and/or fulfillment of; personal data, clear diagnosis and prescribing details as well as frequency and types of prescribing errors .Also compatibility of prescribed drugs with the diagnosis according to the national practice guidelines for family physicians and adherence to WHO drug use indicators were evaluated. Results: The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter was 2.4±0.7 (Mean ± SD). Out of all prescribed drugs, 94.7% were available by the national Essential Drug List (EDL) and 86.4% were prescribed by its generic names. The doses of medications were missed only in 1.01% of studied prescriptions while duration of treatment was missed in 14.9%. Regarding to the national practice guidelines for family physicians, 66.9% of prescribed drugs were compatible with the diagnosis. Prescribing errors were detected in 21.3% of prescriptions and its types A,B,C and D were detected in 0.5%,4.4%,7.1% and 9.3% of studied prescriptions respectively. Conclusion and Recommendations: Although adherence of family physicians to the national EDL was generally accepted, there is a need to improve their prescribing pattern and prevent their prescribing errors. The study emphasizes the need for incorporation of the rational drug prescribing as an integral part in the national practice guidelines for family physicians and in the curricula of medical education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. [Mohammad Alkot, Hala Shaheen and Hanan Hathout ; Prescribing Patterns and Errors in Family Practice; a Retrospective Study of Prescribing Records; Journal of American Science 2011; 7(11): 186-190]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience.org.