Abstract
Background: The quality of a prescription reveals the attitude of the prescriber towards rational prescribing. Rational use of drugs is an essential element in achieving high quality patient care. This study aims to audit the outpatient first encounter prescriptions using the WHO core prescribing indicators for rational use of drugs.
Materials and Methods: 2469 prescriptions were audited over a period of three months in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Prescriptions were assessed with criteria for completeness, legibility and WHO core prescribing indicators values.
Results and Conclusion: Prescribing errors were common. Poor legibility and polypharmacy were common. Generic drug names were rarely used. Antibiotic use was more than optimal. However, more than 80% of medications were prescribed from essential drug list. Percentage of injections was well within the optimal limit. Our recommendations for reducing prescribing errors are regular education and training of prescribers, ongoing monitoring, awareness and communication. Other safeguards against prescription errors are electronic prescribing, prescription review by clinical pharmacists and use of standard treatment guidelines by the prescribers. Teaching hospitals have a special responsibility to society to promote rational prescribing by their staff and, through them, the future generations of physicians.
Keywords: WHO core prescribing indicators, rational drug use, tertiary care teaching hospital.
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Corresponding Author
Rajwinder Singh, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College and Hospital, Kumarhatti, Solan, 173229 (Himachal Pradesh), India
Cell 09501300469, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i9.67
