Abstract

PRESCRIBING PATTERN OF ATIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS AND COST ANALYSIS IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Dr. Amruth Raj V*, Ashesh Gautam, Sumit Ghimire, Dr.Shashidhar G, Dr.Mahesh N M and Sunil Gyawali

ABSTRACT

Objective: To assess the prescribing pattern and cost of antihypertensive drugs in patients with hypertension and associated co-morbid conditions admitted in a tertiary teaching care hospital. Method: A prospective observational study carried out in patients diagnosed with hypertension and associated co-morbid conditions and prescribing pattern of antihypertensive drugs were evaluated by using WHO drug use indicator form. Results: In a total of 100 prescriptions 807 drugs were present, 11 essential hypertensive patients and 89 patients are hypertension with co morbid conditions. Males and females were 59% and 41% respectively, 39.24% as monotherapy and 60.76% of combination therapy. Most prescribed hypertensive class was Diuretics (39%) followed by ARB’s (26%), CCB’s (22%), Beta-blockers (6%), ACE-Inhibitor (5%), Central Sympatholytics (1%), and others (1%). Anti-hypertensive Drugs from WHO- EML (Essential Medicine list’s) were 61.69%.The ranking in terms of cost from the highest to the lowest was ARB>CCB>ACEI>BB>D. Conclusion: Our study shows that most commonly prescribed drug classes were Diuretics followed by ARB’s, CCB’s, BB’s and ACE-Inhibitors. ACE-Inhibitors if patient had HTN with DM. Elderly patients were generally started with CCB’s and later Diuretics were added to reduce cardiovascular clinical events and stroke. Hypertension treatment using Diuretics or BBs was more cost-efficient than with ARBs or CCBs.

Keywords: Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, ARB, ACE, CCB, ?-blockers, Diuretics.