Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Mekelle University College of Health Sciences, Mekelle, Ethiopia
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Mekelle University College of Health Sciences, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
BMJ Open. 2021 Oct 27;11(10):e045805. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045805.
Inappropriate use of medicine is a global challenge with greater impact on developing countries. Assessment of drug use pattern is used to identify gaps in medicine utilisation to implement strategies for promoting rational drug use. This study aimed to assess drug use pattern using the WHO drug use indicators in selected general hospitals in Tigray region, Ethiopia.
A cross-sectional study was conducted using WHO drug use indicators in two public hospitals located in Tigray.
Prescriptions recorded from 1 January 2017 to 1 June 2019 were randomly selected, and participants who visited the public hospitals from 1 March 2019 to 30 August 2019 and hospital pharmacies were interviewed.
100 patients who visited both outpatient clinics and hospital pharmacy departments of the public hospitals.
The average number of medicines per prescription was 1.69 (±0.81). Prescriptions containing antibiotics and injectables were 58.2% and 15.9%, respectively. The percentages of medicines prescribed with a generic name from essential medicines list of Ethiopia were 97.5% (974) and 88.1% (970) in Mekelle Hospital and Quiha Hospital, respectively. The patients spent an average of 6.6(±3.5) min with their general practitioners, while only 22.8 (±21.7) s with their pharmacists. Of the patients interviewed, 56.9% knew their dosing regimen and 32.7% of them had their medication labelled.
The finding of the present study revealed deviation of drug use pattern from the WHO optimal levels suggesting the hospitals had limitations in appropriate utilisation of medicines. Understanding the factors attributed to the observed gaps and implementing corrective measures are required to conform with the recommended standards of appropriate drug utilisation.
药物的不恰当使用是一个全球性的挑战，对发展中国家的影响更大。药物使用模式评估用于确定药物利用中的差距，以实施促进合理药物使用的策略。本研究旨在使用世界卫生组织药物使用指标评估埃塞俄比亚提格雷地区两家公立医院的药物使用模式。
在两家位于提格雷的公立医院使用世界卫生组织药物使用指标进行横断面研究。
从 2017 年 1 月 1 日至 2019 年 6 月 1 日记录的处方中随机选择，并对 2019 年 3 月 1 日至 2019 年 8 月 30 日期间访问公立医院的患者以及医院药房进行了访谈。
100 名访问公立医院门诊和医院药房部门的患者。
每张处方的平均用药数为 1.69（±0.81）。含抗生素和注射剂的处方分别占 58.2%和 15.9%。根据埃塞俄比亚基本药物清单，以通用名开处方的药物百分比分别为 97.5%（974 种）和 88.1%（970 种），在梅克莱医院和奎哈医院。患者平均与全科医生就诊 6.6（±3.5）分钟，而与药剂师就诊仅 22.8（±21.7）秒。接受访谈的患者中，56.9%知道自己的剂量方案，32.7%的患者的药物有标签。
本研究结果表明，药物使用模式偏离了世界卫生组织的最佳水平，表明医院在适当使用药物方面存在局限性。了解导致观察到的差距的因素并采取纠正措施是符合适当药物使用建议标准的必要条件。
