Assessment of Drug Use Practices Using Standard WHO Indicators in Lumame Primary Hospital

Abstract

ackground: Irrational use of drugs has been one of the major problems around the globe. However, the degree of the problem is higher in developing countries like Ethiopia. The WHO has developed several indicators to evaluate the practices of drug use. This study aimed to assess the overall drug use practices using standard WHO indicators in Lumame Primary Hospital. Methods: Hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was employed to investigate the overall drug use practices at the hospital. Six hundred prescriptions were selected from a total of 19,242 prescriptions by systematic sampling technique over one year from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, in a retrospective review. For the patient care study, 100 patients were selected for collecting the required information. Facility indicators were assessed by checking the availability of STG/formularies and essential drugs. The results were interpreted according to the standard values of WHO. Results: All 600 sampled prescriptions were 100% standard. Weight, dosage form, and quantity were written in 1.5–13.3% of the prescriptions. Patient address was recorded in 51%, while qualification of prescriber and dispenser were recorded in 71.5% and 56% of the cases, respectively, but all other information were complete in 88.5–100% of the prescriptions. The mean number of drugs per encounter, generic prescribing, prescribing from essential drug list, encounters with antibiotics and injectable drugs were 2.3, 97.9%, 99.8%, 48.8%, and 11.2%, respectively. The average dispensing time was found to be 171.9 seconds. Percentage of actually dispensed drugs, adequacy of labeling, patient knowledge, and patient satisfaction were 95.3%, 22.6%, 83%, and 88%, respectively. About 92% of tracer drugs and all reading materials, except national drug list and facility-level drug formulary, were available in the study period. Conclusion: Generally, appreciable results were obtained for most of the indicators but improvement in antibiotic prescribing, polypharmacy and labeling practice is recommended. Keywords: rational drug use, Lumame Primary Hospital, WHO indicators Background Appropriate use of medicines plays a pivotal role in health service provision and reducing mortality and morbidity. This can be accomplished through availing good quality drugs and promoting their rational use.1 As per the World Health Organization (WHO) definition, the Rational use of drugs requires that patients receive medication appropriate to their clinical needs, in doses that meet their requirement for an adequate period and at the lowest cost to them and their community.1 Rational use of drugs is the delivery of safe, efficacious and affordable medications to the clients. It can be promoted through the team efforts of health professionals, Correspondence: Agumas Alemu Alehegn Lumame, Ethiopia Tel +251922719063 Email agumasphar28@gmail.com submit your manuscript | www.dovepress.com Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety 2021:13 59–69 59 http://doi.org/10.2147/DHPS.S286242 DovePress © 2021 Alehegn et al. This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms. php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php). Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety Dovepress open access to scientific and medical research Open Access Full Text Article Dru