Medicine Prescribing Pattern and Knowledge on Medicine Use at Different Level of Health Care Settings in Nepal

  • Pradip Gyanwali Nepal Health Research Council, Ramshahpath, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Neelam Dhakal Nepal Health Research Council, Ramshahpath, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Baburam Humagain Nepal Health Sector Support Program (NHSSP), Teku, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Khem Bahadur Karki Institute of Medicine(IOM), Maharajgunj Medical campus, Department of Community medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33314/jnhrc.v18i3.2885

Abstract

Background: It is imperative to have adequate knowledge about medicines being used for their proper administration so as to obtain desirable therapeutics effects. This study aims to assess the medicine prescribing pattern and patients’ knowledge about medicine use at different level of health care settings in Nepal.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in randomly selected 88 health facilities in Nepal. Altogether 2200 patients, taken randomly after the doctor visit, were interviewed and assessed for the prescription.

Results: Out of total drugs prescribed from 88 health facilities (6,175), 68.91% were essential drugs, 23.74 % were antibiotics and 61 % of medicines were prescribed in generic names. And among patients receiving medicines, adequate response on medicine use was received on 49% of medicines out of 3,806 medicines dispensed.

Conclusions: Greater percentages of medicines were prescribed from essential drug list in health facilities. Knowledge on medicine use was poor among people.

Keywords: Antibiotics use; drug prescribing pattern; knowledge; rational use of drugs

Published
2020-11-14
How to Cite
GyanwaliP., DhakalN., HumagainB., & KarkiK. B. (2020). Medicine Prescribing Pattern and Knowledge on Medicine Use at Different Level of Health Care Settings in Nepal. Journal of Nepal Health Research Council, 18(3), 520-524. https://doi.org/10.33314/jnhrc.v18i3.2885
Issue
Vol. 18 No. 3 (2020): Vol. 18 No. 3 Issue 48 Jul-Sep 2020
Section
Original Article

Copyright (c) 2020 Pradip Gyanwali, Neelam Dhakal, Baburam Humagain, Khem Bahadur Karki

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Journal of Nepal Health Research Council JNHRC allows to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of its articles and allow readers to use them for any other lawful purpose. Copyright is retained by author. The JNHRC work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).