Abstract

Background: Irrational use of antibiotics is a worldwide problem that contributes to dramatically increasing resistance and causes significant mortality, morbidity, and increased health care costs. In order to ensure the quality of health and medical care for patients and the community as a whole the proper use of medicines is an important element. Evaluation of drug use patterns with the WHO core drug use indicators is showing progressively more essential to promote rational drug use in developing countries. The main aim of this study was to assess the drug prescription pattern using WHO prescribing indicators at the Medical Outpatient Pharmacy in Tikur Ambessa Specialized Hospital (TASH). Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional survey was designed to the claim data .A sample of 2000 prescriptions was selected using systematic random sampling to determine the prescribing pattern from a total of 6,462 prescriptions written by medical interns, residents and senior physicians for a one -year period from February 2015 to January 2016. The raw data was cleaned, entered and analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 of the computer software. The results were summarized using texts and tables. Results: The average number of drugs per encounter was 2.84 +1.58 in the range of 1 to 9. The total number of the drugs which were prescribed by generic name was 97.9%. Of these, the total number of prescribed drugs which were included in the Ethiopian National Essential Medicine List was 99.3%. The present study highlighted the under use of antibiotics which accounts 6.6% (378), with majority being Crystalline Penicillin 27.1 % (94), followed by Amoxicillin 17.8%(62) and Ciprofloxacin 14.1% (49). A total of 8.4% (480) drugs were prescribed as injections. Conclusion: On the basis of the finding of this study, the drug prescription pattern did not meet the WHO core drug use indicators criteria.  It seems that there is a need for improvement of the prescribing patterns in the hospitals.  Therefore, the federal ministry of health and drug regulatory body's commitment will be required to bring about changes in drug use policies, organize health systems and legislative structures as required in order to foster rational drug use in the country. Keywords: Prescribing Indicators, Prescription, Rational Prescribing.

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