Drug use pattern in children at a teaching hospital

Indian Pediatr. 2009 Feb;46(2):165-7.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate drug utilization in pediatric out-patient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. The patient and drug information of 254 patients was analyzed for WHO recommended prescribing indicators. The average number of drugs per prescription was 2.31 and 45% of medicines were prescribed from National List of Essential Medicines. The use of injectibles was low (1.18%) while an antibiotic was prescribed in 29.1%. Only 5.8% medicines were prescribed by generic name. Interventions are required to improve prescribing by generic name so as to further rationalize drug use in pediatric population.

MeSH terms

  • Child, Preschool
  • Drug Utilization
  • Drugs, Generic
  • Female
  • Hospitals, Teaching / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • India
  • Male
  • Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / statistics & numerical data*
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians' / statistics & numerical data*

Substances

  • Drugs, Generic