Background Currently, the private healthcare sector's role in healthcare delivery is growing in Ethiopia. However, there are limited studies on private healthcare sector drug use patterns. This study aimed to evaluate the private healthcare sector prescribing practices and adherence to prescription format, using some of the World Health Organization (WHO) core drug use indicators in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used to collect quantitative data from prescriptions prescribed and dispensed by private healthcare sectors in the Lemi-Kura sub-city, Addis Ababa. The study was conducted from June to July 2021. The WHO criteria were used to evaluate prescribing and prescription completeness indicators. Prescriptions, kept for the last 1 year that were prescribed between January 1, 2020, to January 1, 2021, by private drug outlets, were analyzed. Simple random and systematic sampling procedures were employed in selecting drug outlets and prescriptions, respectively. Results Of a total of 1,200 prescriptions, 2,192 drugs were prescribed and the average number of drugs per prescription was 1.83. Generic names, antibiotics, injections, and drugs on the Ethiopian essential medicines list accounted for 77.4, 63.8, 11.5, and 80.6% of all prescriptions, respectively. Among the patient identifiers, the patient card number (54.3%), weight (2.3%), and diagnoses (31.7%) were less likely to be completed. In terms of the drug-related information, the dosage form (35.5%) was the least likely to be completed. Only 36.6 and 25.8% of prescriptions contained the names and qualifications of the prescribers, respectively. It was difficult to obtain prescription papers with the dispenser identifier. Conclusion The study findings indicated prescribing and prescription completeness indicators all considerably deviated from WHO standards and hence unsuitable. This situation could be critical since a similar pattern is reported from public healthcare sectors, which might imply the extent of non-adherence to WHO core drug use standards. Consequently, it could play a considerable role in increasing irrational medicine use in Ethiopia.

Background: In Ethiopia, despite the private health sector's role in healthcare delivery is growing, studies on private health sector prescribing practices are uncommon. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the private health sector's rational prescribing practices and adherence to prescription format, using some of the World Health Organization (WHO) core drug use indicators in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Method: A retrospective cross sectional study design was used to collect quantitative data from prescriptions prescribed and dispensed by private health sectors in the Lemi-kura sub-city, Addis Ababa. The study was conducted from June to July, 2021. The WHO criteria were used to evaluate prescribing and prescription completeness indicators. Prescriptions, kept for the last 1-year that prescribed between January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021 by private drug outlets, were analyzed. A combination of simple random sampling and systematic sampling procedures were employed. All the statistical calculations were performed using SPSS® V 20.0 software. Result: Off total of 1,200 prescriptions, 2,192 drugs were prescribed and the average number of drugs per prescription was 1.83 (Standard Deviation (SD)=0.9). Generic names, antibiotics, injections, and issued from national essential medicines list accounted for 77.4%, 63.8%, 11.5%, and 80.6% of all prescriptions, respectively. The patients' full names, ages, and sexes were mentioned in 99%, 95.3%, and 96.3% of prescriptions, respectively. The patient's card number (54.3%) and weight (2.3%) were not adhered to properly. The drug name, strength, dose, frequency, duration, and how to use, ranges from 85 to 99% of the prescriptions. Dosage forms (35.5%) and diagnoses (31.7%) were less likely to be completed. Only 36.6% and 25.8% of prescriptions, respectively, contained names and qualifications of prescribers. Obtaining prescription papers with the full name (9%), qualification (1.3%), and signature (26.8%) of the dispenser, and date of dispensing (0.7%), is extremely difficult. Interestingly, no dispenser filled out all of this information on a single prescription. Conclusion: The study's findings indicated rational prescribing and prescription completeness indicators were all considerably deviate from WHO standards and hence unsuitable. To promote rational medication use, health practitioners in the private sector should be given regulatory interventions, ongoing monitoring from relevant bodies, and regular training on good prescribing and dispensing practices.