Assessment of Medicines use in Eastern Ethiopian Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Drug use evaluation (DUE) is a system of ongoing, systematic criteria based evaluation of drug use that will help ensure that medicines are used appropriately at the individual patient level. Irrational drug use is numerous and complex involving the health system, prescriber, dispenser, patient and the community. Hence, this study was focused on assessing rational drug use using WHO core drug use indicators in Dilchoral Hospital (DH), Eastern Ethiopia. Methodology: A cross sectional study design was used. Data collection formatwere developed according to WHO recommendation and validated to our context. The data was processed and analyzed using EX-Cell sheet as per WHO criteria for drug use evaluation as per standard treatment guideline of Ethiopia. Result: Majority of prescriptions had patient sex (68.00%), age (65.66%), and card number (73.50%). Only small number of prescription had patient weight (1.00%), patient diagnosis (1.16%), and dispenser’s signature. Among the total prescribed medicines, (37.50%) were antibiotics, (34.61%) were injections, and more than ninety percent of drugs were written by generic name and use the hospital drug list. Conclusion: Generally according to WHO guideline recommendation, most of the prescribing indicators are lower than the standards. Hence the hospital DTC collaborated with the hospital administration and staff should address the gaps. Dilchora Hospital Drug and Therapeutic committee (DTC) should promote rational prescription and dispensing practice for improved health care service and putting policy and procedure for prescribing antibiotics.