Prescribing Pattern of Antibiotics Among Outdoor Patients in Medicine Department of Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern India

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the present study was to examine the prescribing pattern of antibiotics in the outpatient department of medicine in a tertiary care hospital.
 Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in department of pharmacology in collaboration with department of medicine of Govt Medical College Kathua for a period of one month. Prescription of all patients attending medicine OPD who were prescribed antibiotics was analysed.
 Results: A total of 450 prescription of OPD patients were analysed. Out of these 200 prescriptions of patients had antibiotics prescribed. 98% of prescriptions had oral antibiotics and other 2% were prescribed injectable antibiotics. 70 % of prescriptions were on the single antibiotic and in 30% of prescriptions, fixed-dose combination were prescribed. Cefpodoxime antibiotic was most commonly prescribed in the cephalosporin group, followed by amoxy-clavulanic acid, azithromycin. Irrational prescribing of antibiotics was 34% and it was quite high in our study.
 Conclusions: Cefpodoxime was most commonly prescribed in cephalosporin group among all antibiotics. Irrational prescribing was quite high in present study. Our result calls for the urgency of refresher courses like stewardship programmes regarding antibiotic use to avoid irrational usage.