Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the drug prescription parameters and to find out the elements had an influence on the prescribing practice of doctors’. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to collect 300 outpatient drug prescriptions and 30 questionnaires of physicians during the period of 2017-2018. The data were analyzed according to WHO’s the guideline. Results: Average number of drug per prescription: 3.73, percentage of drugs prescribed by generic or international name (INN): 100%, percentage of prescriptions with an antibiotic prescribed: 24%, of β-lactam antibiotics group, including cephalosporin (31.17%) and aminopenicillin (27.27%), accounted for the highest percentage of using in antibiotic groups with a total of 58.44%, of corticosteroid: 12%, of vitamin: 27.3%, of drugs prescribed including in the Essential Medicines List issued by the Ministry of Health: 35.3%. Average drug cost per prescription: 88,867 VNĐ. Percentage of drug costs for antibiotics (%): 7.48%, of corticosteroids (%): 1.85% and of vitamins (%): 5.25%. Conclusion: The results of this research have identified some prescription indicators and elements affect the prescription indicators such as drug information, patient, drug, which may lead to intervention studies for evaluating changes in these issues in the outpatient clinic.

Objective: Examining and comparing the primary and supplementary prescribing indicators in pediatric outpatients under six years old. Methods: We performed a comparative cross-sectional study, over nine months, from September 2015. 800 prescriptions for peadiatric patients under 6 y old were collected at 8 district hospitals in Can Tho city to evaluate the primary and supplementary prescribing indicators. The sample was collected prospectively by the systematic selection, with the interval between the patients is 5. The data was analysed and compared to the standard drug use indicators in developing countries recommended by WHO. Results: Average number of drugs per encounter: 4.1, percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name: 94.2%, percentage of encounters with an antibiotic prescribed: 85.8%, percentage of drugs prescribed from essential drugs list by Ministry of Health: 78.7%, percentage of encounters with a corticoid prescribed: 41.7%, percentage of encounters with a vitamin prescribed: 13.1%, average drug cost per encounter: 37.5 thousands VND, percentage of drug costs spent on antibiotics: 55.2%, percentage of drug costs spent on essential drugs: 75.7%, percentage of drug costs spent on corticoid: 1.9%, percentage of drug costs spent on vitamin: 1.4%. Conclusion: The results of this research have identified some issues in outpatient prescribing, which may lead to intervention studies for evaluating changes in these issues in the outpatient clinic.