Assessing prescribing practices in a rural hospital: A cross-sectional study using WHO prescribing indicators

This cross-sectional study aims to assess the prescribing practices of physicians at a rural hospital in Western India, focusing on adherence to WHO prescribing indicators. The main research question addressed the extent of alignment with optimal prescribing standards. 1: Evaluate prescribing patterns in a rural hospital using WHO indicators. 2: Assess alignment with WHO standards and identify areas for improvement. 3: Understand demographic influences on prescribing. 4: Provide insights for optimizing rural healthcare delivery.A prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional approach was employed in the outpatient department of the rural hospital. A total of 604 prescriptions were sampled over two months, and data were collected using a random sampling method. The study followed ethical standards, and prescriptions were analyzed for demographic characteristics, prescribing patterns, and adherence to WHO indicators. The average number of drugs per prescription was 3.5, indicating a tendency towards polypharmacy. While 86% of drugs were prescribed generically, the study revealed areas of suboptimal adherence to WHO prescribing indicators, including antibiotic prescriptions (29%) and injectable use (50%). The analysis also highlighted disparities in prescribing patterns based on gender and age. The study provides valuable insights into prescribing practices in a rural healthcare setting, emphasizing the need for interventions to streamline prescriptions and enhance adherence to global standards. The identified areas for improvement include addressing polypharmacy, promoting generic prescribing, and optimizing antibiotic and injectable use.