ASSESSMENT OF ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS UTILIZATION PATTERN IN BUTAJIRA ZONAL HOSPITAL, BUTAJIRA TOWN, SOUTH ETHIOPIA

Background: Many factors contribute for prevalence of high blood pressure including poor treatment compliance, lack of access to health care and lack of physician adherence to therapeutics. In Ethiopia, routine health care report is incomplete and erratic and 90% individuals diagnosed with hypertension do not properly adhere to treatment. The present study was carried out to assess the antihypertensive drug utilization pattern in Butajira Zonal Hospital, Ethiopia. Methodology: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 486 patient cards of hypertensive patients from Jan, 23 2011 – Feb. 03, 2011 in Butajira Zonal Hospital, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Results: The hypertensive patients studied were female 267 (54.94%) and 271 (55.76%) were above 45 years of age. The common signs/symptoms and disease reported were headache 31(19.50%), congestive heart failure and urinary tract infection 23(14.46%). Combination therapy study on 275 patients shows 237(86.18%) and 38(13.82%) were on two and three drugs respectively. A total of 211 anti-hypertensive drugs were prescribed as mono-therapy out of them hydrochlorothiazide was mostly 123(58.29%) prescribed. A total of 198(100%) patients were taking non-steroids anti-inflammatory drugs, norfloxacin 15(7.58%), Digoxin 14(7.07%), Insulin 9(4.55%) and salbutamol 6(3.03%) were commonly co administered with anti-hypertensives. Conclusion: Diuretics were the most prescribed anti-hypertensive drugs in mono-therapy and combination therapy. The consumption of antihypertension drugs in the study area and Ethiopia as well is increasing which is similar other countries, but differences in the relative increase for each class of drug suggest that further study may be required to clarify the origins and causes.