Prescription patterns and utilisation of antihypertensive drugs in private practice in Umtata.

To the Editor: Hypertension is the commonest chronic disease occurring among adult South Africans. Rational prescribing and the safe use of drugs are important in the management of hypertensive patients since they are on chronic medication. The choice of antihypertensive agent(s) is equally important because drug costs contribute up to 90% of the treatment costs for hypertension. There are apparently no reports on the management of hypertension in the Eastern Cape. We therefore analysed prescriptions for antihypertensive drugs in order to establish the drug utilisation patterns and the quality of prescribing in the private health sector, and the extent to which South African hypertension treatment guidelines 7,8 are followed in Umtata.