Background: Irrational prescribing practices have a negative impact on the health and economy of individuals and society as a whole, resulting in resource wastage and widespread health hazards. The aim of this study was to analyze the drug prescribing pattern in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Methods: This prospective study included outpatients with COPD. Various parameters were recorded, including patient age, gender, outpatient ID number, occupation, smoking history, alcohol consumption, disease condition details, co-existing diseases, and prescribed medication details. The drug selection was assessed based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines. Data was collected using a specially designed data entry form and tabulated. The results were expressed as percentages.
Results: The prescription data of 72 patients were analyzed in this study, comprising 58 males (80.56%) and 14 females (19.44%), with a mean age of 55.95 years. The male-to-female ratio was 4.14:1. Out of the total 72 patients, 62 (86.11%) were smokers, with 25 (40.32%) currently smoking and 37 (59.68%) being ex-smokers. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity, present in 35 (48.61%) patients. Inhalation was the most common route of drug administration in the study, followed by the oral route. The most frequently prescribed drugs were Formoterol (LABA) in 58 (81.56%) patients, Budesonide in 54 (75%), Acebrophylline in 44 (61.11%), while Terbutaline was the least used in 7 (9.72%) patients and Methylprednisolone in 6 (8.33%) patients.
Conclusion: The data revealed a low utilization of monotherapies, specifically long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), and a high utilization of combination therapies, particularly those containing inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The drug prescribing pattern analysis aims to provide feedback and create awareness about appropriate medicine use.
