A RETROSPECTIVE PRESCRIPTION AUDIT STUDY IN OUT PATIENT DEPARTMENT OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN

Background: Prescription audit is an effective way to raise the standard of prescriptions. WHO core prescribing indicators are established and trustworthy tool for assessing the quality of prescriptions. So, we used WHO-recommended core prescribing indicators to assess the prescription pattern of treating physicians. Methods: A retrospective observational study was done. A total of 632 prescriptions were included with 2002 drugs from general medicine OPD. The prescriptions were analyzed for general details, legibility, rationality, and WHO core prescribing indicators. The data obtained were presented as descriptive statistics by using MS-Excel and SPSS ver.24. Results: All the prescriptions had general details mentioned as pre-printed. The average number of drugs per encounter was 3.17 ± 1.64 and only 461 (23.03 %) of the drugs were prescribed by generic name. The percentage of encounters prescribed with an antibiotic 160 (25.3%) and an injection 164 (25.9%) was observed. A total 1767 out of 2002 (88.3%) of the drugs were prescribed by the NLEM. Prescriptions with diagnosis (77%), signed (83.07%), and 61.07% with legible handwriting noted. The prescriptions advised 60.4 % of investigations and 41% of multivitamins. Conclusion: Percentage of prescriptions with an antibiotic was within limits as recommended by WHO. This shows rational antibiotic prescribing practices are followed. However, the average number of drugs per encounter was slightly high, and less number of drugs were prescribed in the generic name. For this, Prescription auditing and awareness should be done regularly, and physicians should improve their prescription writing skills for the benefit of their patients.