World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

DRUG PRESCRIBING PATTERNS FOR SKIN DISEASES IN DERMATOLOGY OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN BANGLADESH

Nadia Islam, Sohail Mirza and Morshed Nasir*

ABSTRACT

Skin diseases in developing countries have a serious impact on people's quality of life where climate, socio-economic status, religions and customs are widely varied in different parts of the country. A cross sectional observational study was done to assess the prescribing pattern in dermatology outpatient department (OPD) in a tertiary care hospital. The study was carried out over six months period from September 2015 to February 2016 in the Dermatology outpatient department of tertiary care referral hospital in Kapasia upazilla health complex, Gazipur. Data was collected for six months by reviewing OPD cards and prescription data. A total of 1503 cases were analyzed in which the total number of drugs was found to be 3520. Data analysis showed that, average number of drugs prescribed was 2.35 per prescription. During study period, antihistamines (24.36%) were the most commonly prescribed class of drugs followed by anti-parasitics (21.29%), combination preparations (19.32%) steroids (12.09%), antifungals (11.23%), antibiotics (8.04%), others(Multivitamins, antipyretic, retinoid etc.) (3.67%). Clinical pharmacist can conduct such periodic audit to rationalize the prescription, reduce errors and suggest a cost effective management of skin diseases. The programs should conduct into the hospital for Physicians and Post graduate students, to show comparison and benefits of generic versus branded drugs also to improve generic prescribing practice and to make therapy economic to the patients. Having a steroid and antibiotic prescribing policy will go a long way to minimizing inappropriate prescriptions and also standard treatment guidelines for the treatment of common disease should be formulated.

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