Pharmaco-Economic Aspects and Pattern of Antibiotic Precriptions in Four Major Hospitals in Kathmandu

Abstract

Background: Antibiotics are extensively prescribed drugs and their use is associated with increasing rate
of antibiotic resistance. Nearly one third of prescriptions of physicians for colds, upper respiratory tract
infections and bronchitis are of anticiotics as documented in previous studies. Antibiotic use is associated
with higher cost of prescriptions, which is impracticable to low socioeconomic groups in Nepal. Besides
this patients have little knowledge about the use of antibiotics as shown by previous study of antibiotics used
in randomly selected 20 private clinics of Kathmandu valley.13
To study the prescribing pattern of Antibiotic preparations in various diseases and to find out how the
treatment could become more pharmaco-economic in government hospitals, without compromising the
quality of service.
The results were as under Total No. of prescriptions audited were 522, average numbers of drugs/per
prescription were 2.61.
Maximum antibiotics were received in age group 21-41 y in gynecological, surgical and medical problems,
in Pediatrics maximum antibiotics were prescribed between 1-12 years.
Minimum antibiotics were prescribed between 13-20 y for gynecological and Pediatric problems. In medical
and surgical problems, minimum antibiotics was administered between 41-60 years. Above 60 years almost
no antibiotics were used.
Males were prescribed more antibiotics then females (73% for surgical, 62% for medical and 53% for
Pediatric problems)
Only in 24.5% patients, antibiotics were prescribed after proper diagnosis and sensitivity tests
Maximum cost of Prescription was 638 Nepali Rupees for treatment of sexually transmitted infection in
Gynecology.

Key Words: Antibiotics, Cost, Private Clinics, Pharmacoeconomic, Sexually Transmitted Diseases.