Singh B -Respiratory Tract Problems associated with allergies in Punjab region, India-A survey reportgetting more health conscious day by day but still a majorportion <strong>of</strong> people believe in self medication. 'The moremodern, the more pollution'- the proverb is true as two third <strong>of</strong>the study subject belongs to urban area.REFERENCES1. Finland M. Pneumococcal infections. In: Evans AS, FeldmanHA, eds. Bacterial infections in humans. Epidemiology andcontrol. New York, Plenum1982; 142:68-85.2. Graham MH. Psychological factors in the epidemiology <strong>of</strong>acute respiratory infection. MD thesis. Adelaide, SouthAustralia, University <strong>of</strong> Adelaide 1987; 12:130-9.3. James JW. Longitudinal study <strong>of</strong> the morbidity <strong>of</strong> diarrheal andrespiratory infections in malnourished children. Am J Clin Nutr1972; 25: 690-69.4. Holgate ST. Genetic and environmental interaction in allergyand asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999; 104: 1139-1146.5. Durgawale PM. <strong>Practice</strong> <strong>of</strong> self medication among slumdwellers. Ind J pub Health 1998; 42: 53-55.6. Macfarlane JT, Colville A, Guion A. Macfarlane, R.M., Rose,D.H., Prospective study on aetiology and outcome <strong>of</strong> adultlower respiratory tract infection in the community. Lancet 1993;341: 511- 514.7. Colley JRT, Reid DD. Urban and social origins <strong>of</strong> childhoodbronchitis in England and Wales. BMJ 1970; 2: 213-217.8. Barker DJP, Osmond C. Childhood respiratory infection andadult chronic bronchitis in England and Wales. BMJ 1986;293:1271-1275.9. Mok JYQ, Simpson, H. Outcome for acute bronchitis,bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infancy. Arch Dis Child 1984;59: 306-309.10. Belfer ML, Shader RI, Di Mascio A, Harmatz, JS, Nahum JP.Stress and bronchitis. BMJ 1968; 3: 805-806.11. Jacobs MA, Spilken AZ, Norman MM, Anderson LS. Life stressand respiratory illness. Psychosom Med 1970; 32: 233-242.12. Phalke VD, Phalke DB, Durgawale PM. Self medicationpractices in rural maharashtra. Ind J Com Med 2006; 31:21-26.13. Eisner MD, Blanc PD, Omachi TA, Yelin EH, Sidney S, Katz PP,Ackerson L M G, Tolstykh I, C Iribarren. Socio-economic status,race and COPD health outcomes. J Epidemiol <strong>2011</strong>; 65:26-34.14.15.16.17.18.Radha TG, Gupta CK, Singh A, Mathur N. Chronic bronchitisinan urban locality <strong>of</strong> New Delhi-an epidemiological survey. Ind JMed Res 1977; 66:273-85.Akhtar MA, Latif PA. Prevalence <strong>of</strong> chronic bronchitis in urbanpopulation <strong>of</strong> Kashmir. J <strong>Indian</strong> Med Assoc 1999; 97:365-9.Wig KL, Guleria JS, Bhasin RC, Holmes E Jr, Vasudeva YL,Singh H. Certain clinical and epidemiological patterns <strong>of</strong>chronic obstructive lung disease as seen in Northern India. IndJ Chest Dis 1964; 6:183-94.Rastogi SK, Gupta BN, Mathur N, Husain T, Mahendra PN,Pangtey BS. A survey <strong>of</strong> chronic bronchitis among brasswareworkers. Ann Occup Hyg 1992; 36:283-93.Malik SK. Chronic bronchitis in North India. Chestm1977;72:800.19. Liard R, Neukirch F. Questionnaires: a major instrument forrespiratory epidemiology. Eur Respir Mon 2000; 15: 154-166.20. Chhabra P, Sharma G, Kannan AT. Prevalence <strong>of</strong> RespiratoryDisease and Associated Factors in an Urban Area <strong>of</strong> Delhi. IndJ Com Med 2008; 33(4):87-96.21. Colley JRT, Douglas JWB, Reid DD. Respiratory disease inyoung adults: influence <strong>of</strong> early childhood lower respiratorytract illness, social class, air pollution and smoking. BMJ 1973;3: 195-198.22. Barker DJP, Osmond C. Childhood respiratory infection andadult chronic bronchitis in England and Wales. BMJ 1986; 293:1271-1275.<strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Journal</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pharmacy</strong> <strong>Practice</strong> Volume 4 Issue 4 <strong>Oct</strong> - <strong>Dec</strong>, <strong>2011</strong> 76
<strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Journal</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pharmacy</strong> <strong>Practice</strong>Association <strong>of</strong> Pharmaceutical Teachers <strong>of</strong> IndiaStudy <strong>of</strong> Prescribing Pattern for Evaluation <strong>of</strong> Rational Drug Therapy in WarangalPavani V, Mihir. Y. P*, Shravani K, Prabhakar R VSt. Peters Institute <strong>of</strong> Pharamceutical Sciences, Vidyanagar, Hanamkonda, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh-506001, IndiaA B S T R A C TSubmitted: 3/11/<strong>2011</strong>Accepted: 15/11/<strong>2011</strong>The present study <strong>of</strong> prescribing pattern for evaluation <strong>of</strong> rational drug therapy was carried out in Warangal city for a period <strong>of</strong> six months. Twohundred and fifty prescriptions written by qualified medical graduate and postgraduate doctors were collected and studied for theirappropriateness and rationality. The doctor's identity, patient's name, age and address, superscription, route <strong>of</strong> administration and duration <strong>of</strong>therapy were mentioned in 100%, 100%, 15%, 0%, 35%, 24% and 100% <strong>of</strong> prescriptions respectively. Drug use has been found to beinappropriate in 20% <strong>of</strong> the drugs and large numbers <strong>of</strong> prescriptions do not confirm to the ideal pattern.Keywords: Prescription format, Prescribing patterns, Rational drug therapyINTRODUCTIONRational drug prescribing can be defined as appropriate drugstaken in the right dose, at correct time intervals and for1sufficient duration. Inappropriate prescribing leads toineffective, unsafe treatment, exacerbation or prolongation <strong>of</strong>illness, distress and harm to the patient and higher costs <strong>of</strong>2treatment. Irrational prescription <strong>of</strong> drugs is <strong>of</strong> common3occurrence in clinical practice, important reasons being lack<strong>of</strong> knowledge about drugs, unethical drug promotions andirrational prescribing habits <strong>of</strong> clinicians. Monitoring <strong>of</strong>prescriptions and drug utilization studies can identify theproblems and provide feedback to prescribers so as to create4awareness about irrational use <strong>of</strong> drugs. Variations in types <strong>of</strong>drugs used and in the way they are used is considerable evenwhen comparing small adjacent areas and in comparing5physician working within same area. The present study wasundertaken to identify inappropriate drug use in Warangal andsuggest remedial measures to make drug therapy morerational.MATERIALS AND METHODSThe methodology used in the present study was retrospective,and the study was carried out for a period <strong>of</strong> six months (FromFebruary <strong>2011</strong> to July <strong>2011</strong>). About two hundred and fiftyprescriptions written by qualified medical graduate andpostgraduate doctors were collected. Patients visiting outpatientdepartments <strong>of</strong> MGM Hospital in Warangal city orpharmacies around MGM Hospital, Warangal, AndhraPradesh were approached and requested to have theirAddress for Correspondence:Mihir Y.P, St. Peters Institute <strong>of</strong> Pharamceutical Sciences, Vidyanagar,Hanamkonda, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh-506001, IndiaE-mail: mihirparmar4uonly@yahoo.comprescriptions xeroxed. Those patients, who agreed to therequest, were also interviewed to have information about.Ÿ Patients demographic data - age, sex, address anddiagnosis.Ÿ Chief complaints for which medical advice was sought.Ÿ Brief medical history.Ÿ Drug history i.e. dose, dosage, amount <strong>of</strong> drug used or use<strong>of</strong> other corrective measuresŸ Any other remarks.The collected prescriptions were evaluated for(I) Adherence to prescription format.(II) Rationality <strong>of</strong> prescription.(I) Adherence <strong>of</strong> prescription formatFor studying adherence to prescription format followingfeatures <strong>of</strong> prescription were analyzed:-(a) Identification <strong>of</strong> patient: whether name, age, sex andaddress <strong>of</strong> the patient were mentioned or not.(b) Superscription denoted by 'Rx'. Prescriptions wereanalyzed for presence or absence <strong>of</strong> 'Rx' and also whethersome other mode <strong>of</strong> writing superscription was used or not.© Inscription: It included analyses <strong>of</strong> number, name, doseand dosage <strong>of</strong> drugs used.(d) Subscription: Whether directions regarding dosage andtotal amount <strong>of</strong> drug to be dispensed were given to thepharmacist or not.(e) Transcription or signa: Whether instructions regardinguse <strong>of</strong> drugs were given to the patient or not.(f) Prescriber's identity: Whether name, registrationnumber and address <strong>of</strong> the prescriber were mentioned or not.<strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Journal</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pharmacy</strong> <strong>Practice</strong> Volume 4 Issue 4 <strong>Oct</strong> - <strong>Dec</strong>, <strong>2011</strong> 77