Trends of Pediatric Outpatients Prescribing in Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Background: Data with regard to local drug prescribing in pediatric population is scarce. This study was carried out to investigate the patterns of drug prescribing for pediatric outpatient in a general hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: A total of 707 prescriptions were collected from a governmental hospital in Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates covering the months of June and July, 2014. Encounters issued for patients older than 12 years were rejected. A total of 520 prescriptions for age groups ranging from 1 week to 12 years were studied. Prescriptions were analyzed using WHO drug use indicators. Results: All prescriptions were electronic and head lettered by the name of the hospital. Average number of drugs per prescriptions was 2.6 and all drugs were generics. Name of patient, age and gender and prescriber's name and E-signature were present in 100%. Patient's address, allergy and diagnosis were present in 21.15%, 83.26% and 64.42% of prescriptions respectively. Complete dosage regimen was present in all encounters. Patients were prescribed one, two, three, four or more than four drugs per prescription in 23.84%, 27.88%, 26.53%, 12.69%, and 8.65% respectively. The most commonly prescribed therapeutic classes of drugs were antibiotics (44.60%), antihistamines (43.65%), and analgesics/antipyretics (32.30%). The most commonly prescribed drugs among each class were amoxicillin (40%), xylometazoline (61.23%), and paracetamol (87.5%). Conclusion: Present results indicate that prescribing trends for pediatric population seems to be rational. However, there is over use of antibiotics and there are some areas that warrant further attention by the prescribers for a more significantly rational prescribing.

Off-label drug use in hospitalized children: a prospective observational study at Gondar University Referral Hospital, Northwestern Ethiopia

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