Background: World Health Organization (WHO) has defined drug utilization in 1977 as marketing, distribution, prescription and use of drugs in a society with special emphasis on the resultant medical and social consequences. It should be evaluated periodically to increase the therapeutic efficacy and decrease adverse effects. Objectives:The aim of study is obtain data on the current prescribing pattern and drug utilisation trend of ophthalmologist in a tertiary care teaching hospital with ultimate goal to promote appropriate use of drugs. Methods: This prospective interventional study was conducted in 272 patients of either sex visiting Ophthalmology outpatient department over a period of six months at NMCH and RC, Raichur, Karnataka. The data collected from data collection form was analysed with the help of WHO prescribing indicators and evaluated using descriptive statistics. Results: Prescription analysis showed that the average number of drugs per prescription was 2.45. Drugs were mostly prescribed by brand name (98.5%), Eye drops (69%) were most prescribed dosage form, Injections (0.75%) were least prescribed, drugs prescribed from Essential Drug List was 50.9%. Antibiotics were most prescribed class of drugs (49.62%). Dosage form, frequency and duration of therapy were recorded in 100%, 95.5% and 84% of prescriptions. Conclusion: Polypharmacy was slightly seen in prescriptions. Antibiotics were highly used. The most commonly prescribed dosage form was eye drops. Half of drugs were prescribed from Essential drug list (EDL). Physicians preferred branded drugs rather than generic drugs. Diagnosis of the patient was not recorded for most of the prescriptions.

Introduction: Medication compliance is consequential part of treatment success. Medication non- compliance in geriatric patients leads to substantial worsening of disease, increased healthcare costs, and death.  Financial constraints and adverse events or side effects associated with non-compliance can be avoided by improving medication compliance. Objective: To assess the level of medication compliance in geriatric patients and to analyse factors causing non-compliance to medications. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from May 2020 to July 2020 in a rural area of South India. 150 geriatric patients (aged >60 years) attending the Non- Communicable Disease (NCD) clinics in Primary Health Centres (PHC) were interviewed using validated questionnaires. Results: A total of 150 geriatric participants with Hypertension were assessed for the level of compliance for long term medications. Maximum numbers of participants were males (54%) and majority were found in the age group of 61-70 (42%) and good compliance was observed in 63% of the participants and suggests that the compliance level has decreased progressively with increasing age. Good compliance was seen in subjects with up to 2 medications (55%) compared to more than 2 medications (25%).  The level of compliance was good in 47%, moderate in 35% and poor in 18% of the participants. Conclusion: This study shows poor compliance to the prescribed medication among geriatric subjects with chronic diseases. Different strategies should be used to increase medication compliance in geriatric patients to achieve better outcomes in their health status. Keywords: Medication compliance, Hypertension, geriatric patients

No abstract