[An analysis of pharmacotherapy in an internal medicine ambulatory care clinic, using the example of cardiovascular-effective drugs].

The use of cardiovascular active drugs at a general internal medical outpatient clinic and its quality are assessed. In the spring of 1980, 209 prescriptions for cardiovascular drugs taken from a total of 1800 prescriptions were prospectively analyzed based on a previous retrospective review of medical records. The requirements for cardiovascular drug therapy, which had been fixed in advance, were met in 80%: thus, in 90% of all prescriptions the indication for therapy could be reconstructed from the medical record; the choice of the drugs used was considered adequate in 80% and the dose in 90%. However, the requested clinical investigations were recorded in only 65%, whereas laboratory tests were done in 90%. Of all drugs, therapy with digoxin was most often used without indication and without clinical follow-up of the patient. In the diuretics group potassium-saving preparations were used as drugs of first choice without adequate indication. In addition, therapy with beta-blocking agents in a group of elderly patients was not justifiable by the records. Side effects were registered in 4% of all cardiovascular drug prescriptions. Overall the quality of drug therapy was considered adequate. Cross-comparison was not possible due to lack of comparable studies in the literature.