Prescription Audit in Outpatient Pharmacy of a Tertiary Care Referral Hospital in Haryana Using World Health Organization/International Network of Rational Use of Drugs (WHO/INRUD) Core Prescribing Indicators: A Step Towards Refining Drug Use and Patient Care.

BACKGROUND

The evaluation of internationally comparable indicators of medicine use is important to devise strategies to promote the rational use of medicines (RUM).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital from January to June 2024. Prescriptions were collected from the outpatient pharmacy using systematic random sampling and analyzed for WHO/INRUD core prescribing indicators, index of rational drug prescribing (IRDP) and completeness (general, treatment and prescribers' details).

RESULTS

Out of 844 prescriptions collected, 607 were analyzed. A total of 1837 drugs were prescribed, with a mean (SD) of 3.03 (1.51) drugs per prescription; 1378 (75%) drugs were prescribed as generic names; 125 prescriptions (20.59%) had an antibiotic prescribed; and injectables were given in 7 (1.15%) prescriptions. Of the total 1837 drugs, 1018 (55.4%) were mentioned in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022, while 934 (50.8%) were included in the Haryana state essential medicines list (2013-2014). The IRDP was calculated as 3.86. The mean (SD) completeness score of the prescriptions was 10.33 (0.8) (range 5 to 11).

CONCLUSIONS

There was a high incidence of polypharmacy, brand name and non-essential drug prescribing, while antibiotic and injection use were in accordance with WHO standards.