Journal of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems
Open Access
ISSN: 2376-0419
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2376-0419
+44 1300 500008
Rajiv Ahlawat, Sanjay D’cruz and Pramil Tiwari
Introduction: Patients with chronic kidney disease usually have multiple co-morbidities and, therefore, require multiple pills.
Objective: To evaluate the prescribing pattern in patients of chronic kidney disease. Method: This study was carried out at a renal clinic of medicine OPD of a tertiary care public teaching hospital for a period of one year. Patients diagnosed with CKD according to KDIGO guideline were included in the study. Medications were classified into different groups on the basis of Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification
Results: A total of 408 patients diagnosed with CKD were included in study. The average age of the patients was 53.8 (6.4). Of all, 18% of the patients were on dialysis. It was found that 42% of the patients belonged to end stage of renal disease. The mean (SD) of drugs was found to be 6.57 (2.3). Only 19% of the drugs prescribed out of Indian National List of Essential Medicine (NLEM). No drug was found to be prescribed by generic name. Out of total 2,681 drugs prescribed, most commonly prescribed were cardiovascular drugs (33.9%). Further, it was also found that 14.7% of the patients were prescribed with antimicrobials. Among all, 22.3% of the patients were vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine. Five most commonly prescribed drugs were calcium carbonate, vitamin D, iron, torsemide and amlodipine (13.9%, 12.2%, 11.5%, 8.1% and 6.1%, respectively). Ninety-five percent of the patients were prescribed phosphate binder (PB). Calcium carbonate was the most commonly used PB prescribed to 91.1% of the patients. Sevelamer was prescribed to only 18 patients.
Conclusion: The calcium based phosphate binders were found to be the most commonly prescribed drug. Maximum number of drugs was prescribed from cardiovascular drugs. Prescribing was found consistent with NLEM.