Trends in Clinical and Medical Sciences
Special issue: Indian Medical Research Views and Findings on Last 5 years (2023), pp. 403 – 409
ISSN: 2791-0814 (online) 2791-0806 (Print)
DOI: 10.30538/psrp-tmcs2023.si-imrv062
ISSN: 2791-0814 (online) 2791-0806 (Print)
DOI: 10.30538/psrp-tmcs2023.si-imrv062
A study of prescription pattern among COPD patients in a tertiary care hospital
Dr. Sachin Parmar\(^{1}\), Dr. Sarita Jalodiya\(^{2}\), Dr. Ritesh Churihar\(^{3}\), Dr. Pawan Kumar Maurya\(^{4,*}\) and Dr. Nirmala Kushwaha\(^{5}\)
\(^{1}\) Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, N.S.C. Government Medical College, Khandwa, M.P.
\(^{2}\) MBBS MD (General Medicine), Consulting Physician Khandwa.
\(^{3}\) Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, India.
\(^{4}\) Demonstrator (SR), Department of Pharmacology, MGM Medical College, Indore.
\(^{5}\) Lecturer, GDAC, Ujjain, M.P.
Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Pawan Kumar Maurya at maurya.pg@gmail.com
Copyright © 2023 Dr. Sachin Parmar, Dr. Sarita Jalodiya, Dr. Ritesh Churihar, Dr. Pawan Kumar Maurya and Dr. Nirmala Kushwaha. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Received: March 1, 2023 – Accepted: March 21, 2023 – Published: April 2, 2023
Abstract
Background: Irrational prescribing practices have a negative impact on the health and economy of individuals and society as a whole, resulting in resource wastage and widespread health hazards. The aim of this study was to analyze the drug prescribing pattern in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Methods: This prospective study included outpatients with COPD. Various parameters were recorded, including patient age, gender, outpatient ID number, occupation, smoking history, alcohol consumption, disease condition details, co-existing diseases, and prescribed medication details. The drug selection was assessed based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines. Data was collected using a specially designed data entry form and tabulated. The results were expressed as percentages.
Results: The prescription data of 72 patients were analyzed in this study, comprising 58 males (80.56%) and 14 females (19.44%), with a mean age of 55.95 years. The male-to-female ratio was 4.14:1. Out of the total 72 patients, 62 (86.11%) were smokers, with 25 (40.32%) currently smoking and 37 (59.68%) being ex-smokers. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity, present in 35 (48.61%) patients. Inhalation was the most common route of drug administration in the study, followed by the oral route. The most frequently prescribed drugs were Formoterol (LABA) in 58 (81.56%) patients, Budesonide in 54 (75%), Acebrophylline in 44 (61.11%), while Terbutaline was the least used in 7 (9.72%) patients and Methylprednisolone in 6 (8.33%) patients.
Conclusion: The data revealed a low utilization of monotherapies, specifically long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), and a high utilization of combination therapies, particularly those containing inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The drug prescribing pattern analysis aims to provide feedback and create awareness about appropriate medicine use.
Methods: This prospective study included outpatients with COPD. Various parameters were recorded, including patient age, gender, outpatient ID number, occupation, smoking history, alcohol consumption, disease condition details, co-existing diseases, and prescribed medication details. The drug selection was assessed based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines. Data was collected using a specially designed data entry form and tabulated. The results were expressed as percentages.
Results: The prescription data of 72 patients were analyzed in this study, comprising 58 males (80.56%) and 14 females (19.44%), with a mean age of 55.95 years. The male-to-female ratio was 4.14:1. Out of the total 72 patients, 62 (86.11%) were smokers, with 25 (40.32%) currently smoking and 37 (59.68%) being ex-smokers. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity, present in 35 (48.61%) patients. Inhalation was the most common route of drug administration in the study, followed by the oral route. The most frequently prescribed drugs were Formoterol (LABA) in 58 (81.56%) patients, Budesonide in 54 (75%), Acebrophylline in 44 (61.11%), while Terbutaline was the least used in 7 (9.72%) patients and Methylprednisolone in 6 (8.33%) patients.
Conclusion: The data revealed a low utilization of monotherapies, specifically long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), and a high utilization of combination therapies, particularly those containing inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The drug prescribing pattern analysis aims to provide feedback and create awareness about appropriate medicine use.
Keywords:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Prescription pattern; GOLD guidelines.