A Descriptive study of drug Utilization in Outpatients of Ophthalmology Department of a University Teaching Hospital in Southern India.

Background: Regular audit of prescriptions and providing the feedback to physicians can improve their performance and increase the effectiveness and safety of treatment provided. Improper prescribing of ophthalmic drug formulations can result in adverse effects, noncompliance and decrease in quality of life of the patient. The aim of the study is to describe the drug utilization pattern in an ophthalmology out-patient department of a university teaching hospital in Southern India primarily by using the drug prescribing indicators. Method: A retrospective, descriptive study of case records of ophthalmology outpatients was carried out over a one month period. Besides the demographic data and the diagnosis, the drugs prescribed, dose, route and frequency of administration, duration of treatment was recorded. Results: Of the 84 outpatient prescriptions studied, the number of drugs per prescription ranged from one to four. Fluoroquinolones were the commonest drugs prescribed while their combination with dexamethasone was the commonest fixed dose combination prescribed. All the prescriptions contained the dose, frequency of administration and the duration of treatment. However generic names were not used in the prescriptions. 79.07% of the drugs prescribed were not listed in the national essential drugs list. Conclusion: Polypharmacy was low in our study sample. Although the prescriptions were complete in terms of dose, duration and formulation, lack of use of generic names in the prescriptions needs to be addressed. High incidence of infective conditions necessitates consideration of the local drug sensitivity pattern and patient adherence to prescribed drug regimen. Key words: Drug utilization, ophthalmology, prescription, polypharmacy