Abstract

PRESCRIBING PATTERN OF NARCOTIC DRUGS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL - A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Shalin Elsy Varghese*, Aida Mary Joseph, Aleena Prakash, K. Menaka, Sheik Haja Sherief and Thangavel Shivakumar

ABSTRACT

Background: Narcotic drugs are safe, economical and effective for management of severe pain in selected groups of patients. so prescribing of narcotics in hospitals should take very careful. In this study helps to check the patients prescribing pattern of narcotics, its dose, frequency, time, period of consumption. Objectives: Objectives of the study was to quantify physician prescribing pattern and to determine the narcotic use of each patient, its dose, frequency, time, period of consumption and also identify how many narcotics prescribed for each patient in a single prescription sheet. Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore during the period of March 2018 to May 2018. Results: For this study, we analysed 110 patients narcotic sheets. Out of 110 cases we analysed the gender distribution, mostly prescribed narcotics based on various departments and errors identified in the narcotic sheets. Based on gender distribution we analysed, males of 52% are more using narcotics than the females of 48%. Based on the evaluation of department among which narcotics mostly prescribed, MICU patients were using more amount of narcotics of having 50% and emergency department is using less amount of 0.90%. Conclusion: There should be a standard guidelines necessary for narcotic prescribing in every hospitals which helps to reduce the errors in narcotic prescription and its overdose. This study helps to evaluate the safety, effectiveness of the prescription pattern of narcotic drugs.

Keywords: Pain management, narcotics, prescribing pattern, narcotic prescription sheet.