Role of pharmaco-epidemiology in psychopharmacology: a study in psychiatric out-patient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital at Dehradun, Uttarakhand .
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Date
2014-07
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Abstract
Background: Prescription auditing studies are a part of drug utilization studies,
are beneficial in clinical practice for rational prescribing of drugs and helpful for
minimizing the medication errors. They are important tool to promote rational
prescribing.
Methods: This was a prospective drug utilization study conducted by the Department
of Pharmacology in Psychiatry out-patient department at Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute
of Medical and Health Sciences, Dehradun for a period of 6 months. A total of 311
prescriptions were evaluated for prescribing pattern using World Health Organization
drug indicators and National Essential Medicine List (NEML) 2011.
Results: A total of 311 prescriptions were evaluated, 157 (50.48%) were females, and
154 (49.52%) were males, mean age was 37.14±0.8 years. Majority of patients were
married 207 (66.56%), housewife 116 (37.30%) and belong to middle socioeconomic
group 205 (65.92%). A total of 1250 drugs were prescribed, anti-anxiety (anti-A)
379 (30.32%), anti-depressants (anti-Ds) 348 (27.84%), anti-psychotics (anti-Ps)
118 (9.44%), anti-epileptics (anti-Es) 64 (5.12%), mood stabilizer 20 (1.6%), anticholinergics
28 (2.24%) and others 293 (23.44%). Oral formulations 1247 (99.76%),
4.02 drugs/prescription, 100% drugs were prescribed by brand names. 220 (17.6%)
fixed dose combinations were prescribed. Most frequently prescribed among
anti-A drugs were propranolol 160 (42.22%) and diazepam 105 (27.70%), among
anti-Ds drugs were amitriptyline 65 (18.68%) and escitalopram 59 (16.95%) and
among anti-Ps risperidone 49 (41.53%) and olanzapine 38 (32.20%), respectively.
About 51.36% drugs were prescribed from the NEML 2011. Result has revealed
polypharmacy in the practice.
Conclusions: Anti-A drugs were the most commonly prescribed drugs followed
by anti-Ds, anti-Ps and anti-Es respectively. Rational prescribing requires further
consideration with special reference to polypharmacy and providing feedback to
the physicians.
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Keywords
Pharmaco-epidemiology, Psychopharmacology, Rational prescribing
Citation
Dutta Shaktibala, Beg Mirza Atif, Sindhu Saubhagya, Singh Nand Kishore. Role of pharmaco-epidemiology in psychopharmacology: a study in psychiatric out-patient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital at Dehradun, Uttarakhand. International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology. 2014 Jul-Aug; 3(4): 637-643.