DRUG UTILIZATION EVALUATION OF ANTI-HYPERTENSIVE AGENTS IN A MEDICAL CARE HOSPITAL

Blood Pressure (BP) is defined as the product of the cardiac output (CO) and Total Peripheral Resistance (TPR).Hypertension is defined by persistent elevation of arterial blood pressure. Any drug that is indicated for decreasing/normalizing the elevated blood pressure is considered as an Anti-Hypertensive drug. Objective: To assess the utilization pattern of anti-hypertensive agents in the General Medicine department of  The Oxford Medical College, Hospital and Research Center, Bangalore. Methodology: The study was Simple Prospective Observational study which was carried out for a period of six months. Results: In the study period, 200 hypertensive cases were collected. Of these, 134 (67%) were males and 66 (33%) were females who underwent anti-hypertensive therapy. Among the various anti-hypertensive drugs, only 6 major classes were used in the study sample. They were Diuretics (Ds), Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs), Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs), Beta Adrenergic Blockers (BABs), Alpha Adrenergic Blockers (AABs) and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEIs). Diuretics were used the highest in 112 (40.14%) prescriptions and AABs in 7 (2.50%) prescriptions being the least. Conclusion: Among diuretics, Furosemide was the most frequently utilized anti-hypertensive drug (30.95%) and Ramipril was the least utilized drug (1.36%). Evaluation of utilization of anti-hypertensive agents and implementation of effective strategies can greatly aid in improving the quality use of anti-hypertensive agents.