Prescription Pattern in the Department of Pediatrics in a Tribal District Hospital of Andhra Pradesh India

Abstract

In rural and tribal regions of India, pediatric population is extremely vulnerable to diseases because of lack of awareness and substandard health care facilities. Hence we planned the study to know the status of drug prescription pattern in pediatric department of a tribal district hospital. Fifty hospitalized cases were included randomly in the retrospective study. Case sheets were analyzed for prescription related parameters. Majority of cases was in the age group of 1–3 years (28%). Gastroenteritis (36%) and febrile convulsion (16%) were the common causes of hospitalization. Total 213 drugs were prescribed, with an average of 4.26 drugs per patient. Intravenous route (132 drugs) was the most preferred route. Antimicrobials were the most common (47.89%) group of drug prescribed, followed by analgesic/antipyretics (18.31%). In antimicrobials, ceftriaxone (52.93%) was the most common drug. Almost 60% drugs were prescribed by trade name. Use of single (17.65%) and two different types (24.51%) of antimicrobials was common. Fixed dose combinations were not used. Nonpharmacological treatment was given in 14% cases. Irrational drug prescription practice is common in the region. It needs emergency intervention to avoid adverse economic consequences and emergence of antimicrobial resistance in the region.

Keywords: Ceftriaxone, Malaria, Dehydration