Pharmacoepidemiological study of prescription pattern of analgesics, antipyretics, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at a tertiary health care center.

OBJECTIVE To examine the outpatients' prescribing pattern of doctors to analgesics, antipyretics, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at a tertiary care setting in Southwestern Saudi Arabia. METHODS A retrospective review of one-year outpatient prescriptions kept by the pharmacy department at Aseer Central Hospital during the period 8 April, 2000 until 7 April, 2001. Five working days per week of each season were sampled randomly and systemically as every other prescription. The type and number of drugs prescribed, patient's diagnoses and age, and the prescribing physician were analyzed. The study sample included 3796 prescriptions. RESULTS There was no significant seasonal variation in the pattern of prescription. The most commonly prescribed agent was paracetamol followed in decreasing frequency by ibuprofen, diclofenac, and aspirin. In few of the prescriptions combination of analgesics, antipyretics, and NSAIDs were used. One fourth of prescriptions, the diagnosis was not mentioned or was not clearly written, infection in 40%, and musculoskeletal disorders in 17.7%. The rest were a variety of problems for some of which, the drugs were used inappropriately. Aspirin was used exclusively in adults for cardio-protection, while paracetamol was used mainly as analgesic-antipyretic over all age groups CONCLUSION Some of prescriptions suffered from significant deficiencies. In light of the serious adverse effects of analgesics, antipyretics and NSAIDs, education of physicians on rational use of such drugs, and prescription writing seems necessary.