Assessment of Health Disorders and Drug Use Pattern Among Pregnant Women at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Nepal

Abstract

To assess the different types of health disorders that are more frequent during the pregnancy and drugs prescribed for the management of those disorders are of the safest category and in practice considering the risk to benefit ratio. Also, to find out the extent to which the drugs prescribed are adhered to WHO prescribing indicators. It was an observational cross-sectional study. Data collection sheets were filled by the direct questionnaire and the prescription paper. The drugs were evaluated from WHO core prescribing indicators. Among the total of 141 pregnant women, the maximum number were from the age group 20-25 years. The average number of drugs received during pregnancy is 3.25 per prescription. Whereas the percentage of the drug prescribed by generic name and essential drug list were found to be 26.1 and 56.64, respectively. The most frequently prescribed drug was from the USFDA safe category i.e. category B (53%) and only 2% of drugs were prescribed from category X. Most of the medicine was prescribed listed in the National essential drug list. Deviation was observed in terms of prescription of injection and drugs with a generic name. Contraindicated medicines during pregnancy were almost absent in this study. Pregnant women who appeared during the duration of the study with the health disorder were treated with the appropriate drugs considering the risk to the benefit ratio. However, to assure the rational drug prescription the prescription audit should be carried out at regular intervals.