ISSN : 2663-2187

A prescription audit using the World Health Organization-recommended core drug use indicators in a General Hospital of Chhotaudepur, Gujarat

Main Article Content

Dr. Shruti Vihang Brahmbhatt, Dr. Ishan Rajeshkumar Shah
» doi: 10.48047/AFJBS.6.8.2024.2418-2426

Abstract

Prescription audit is a part of the holistic clinical audit and is a quality improvement process that seeks to improve patient care and outcomes through a systematic review of care against unambiguous criteria and implement the changes. Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the rational use of drugs, to audit the quality of outpatient department (OPD) prescriptions at General Hospital Chhotaudepur regarding their completeness and legibility, & to examine them against the WHO-recommended core drug use indicators. Materials and Methods: An observational & cross-sectional Study was carried out after obtaining Ethics approval. The patient’s informed consent was taken. A total number of 150 Prescriptions reaching the pharmacy from the outpatient departments (OPDs) of all the clinical departments were audited. All the prescriptions were analyzed for the Prescription format and its completeness & The WHO core indicators for drug use. Result: A total response of 150 prescriptions from different departments was analyzed. Of all 96.93% of drugs were prescribed by their generic name. Only 3% of prescriptions had mention of diagnosis (final/presumptive). Averages of 3 medicines were prescribed per prescription. An overwhelming 71.2% (107 out of 150) audited prescriptions had antibiotics prescribed. Only 21.2% of prescriptions were duly signed. A total of 28.8% of prescriptions had illegible handwriting. Conclusion: As we can understand from the above findings, there is a scope for improvement from consulting patients to writing and prescribing medicines to the time when medicines are dispensed

Article Details