Professor Department of Pharmacy Practice, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysore-570 015. India Mysuru, India
Background: The use of high-risk medications (HRMs) is of particular concern, especially in special populations. The inappropriate use of HRMs in these populations can result in significant harm and increased healthcare costs.
Objectives: To assess the utilization and evaluation of HRM among special population
Methods: A Hospital Based Cohort Study was carried out for six months. Data were collected by reviewing patient medical records and prescriptions. The inclusion criteria for the study were patients who were prescribed at least one HRM during the study period. The data collected were analyzed using WHO prescribing indicators and the ATC/DDD system was used to categorize HRMs and calculate their defined daily dose (DDD).
Results: A total of 3037 drugs were prescribed during the study period among 328 patients. The Most used formulation of drug was injection/parenteral [1447 (47.64%)] followed by tablets [1104 (36.35%)]. The average number of HRMs prescribed per encounter was 1.95. Percentage of HRMs prescribed in their generic name was found to be 25.73. The percentage of encounters prescribed with antibiotic and injections were found to be 2.17 and 23.87, respectively. A total of [2581 (84.9 %)] prescriptions were in their brand names. The percentage of drugs prescribed from the essential drug list was 65.27, which was lower than the critical value of 100%. The most frequently prescribed HRM was iron dextran, with a DDD of 700,000/ 1000 patient days, followed by potassium chloride at 66,671/ 1000 patient days, with adrenaline being the least at 0.66/1000 patient days.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that there is a need for increased use of generic names and adherence to the essential drug list to improve the quality and safety of prescribing practices. The results of the study can be used to identify areas of improvement in the prescribing and use of HRMs in special populations.
