ABSTRACT
Background: Prescription error and irrational prescribing are the avoidable problems imposed on health care delivery system from prescriber side which must be addressed. Periodic prescription audit helps to curtail the error and irrational prescribing.Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on patients visiting various Outpatient Department of RIMS, Ranchi, Jharkhand on all working days at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM from 1 August 2018 to 31 July 2019. Various aspects of collected prescriptions were analyzed by using World Health Organization (WHO) prescribing indicators.Results: In this study, out of 700 prescriptions collected, 76 were excluded. Out of total 624 patients analyzed, 382 (61.28%) were male and 242 (38.72%) were female. 48 (7.69%) patients belonged to ?18, 464 (74.36%) to 19-64 and 112 (17.95%) to ?65 years of age group. Tablet (71%) was the most common dosage form. None of prescriptions were having registration number of the doctor. 242 (38.78%) prescriptions did not have a diagnosis duly written. The total no. of drugs prescribed in 624 prescriptions was 2176. Only 32 (5.13%) prescriptions were found to have medicines prescribed in block letters. Antibiotics (29%) were the most common class of drugs prescribed. Average number of drugs per prescription was 3.47. Only 48 (2.20%) drugs were prescribed by their generic name while total of injectables prescribed were 102 (4.68%). Total number of drugs from NLEM was 848 (38.97%). 196 (9.00%) drugs were fixed-dose combination.Conclusions: In our study, we found deficiencies in various parts of prescriptions. Prescribing pattern was not in accordance with WHO recommendation for prescribing practice.
ABSTRACT
The body normally hosts a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi. Some of these are useful to the body and others may cause infections. Fungi can live on the dead tissues of the hairs, nails. Continuous exposal of nail to warm, moist environments usually develops nail infection. Nail plate is main route for penetration of drug. Varity of conventional formulation like gel, cream and also oral antifungal are available for treatment of nail infection. The nail lacquer is a new drug delivery system in treatment of nail infections. The major hurdle associated with developing nail lacquers treatment for nail disorders is to deliver the active (antifungal) therapeutically effective concentrations to the site of infection, which is often under nail. However possible means to enhance nail penetration must be explored in greater depth before effective local treatments for fungal nail infections are developed. Lack of proper in vitro methods to measure the extent of drug permeation across the nail plate is the major difficulty in the development of transungual delivery. Penetration of topical antifungal through the nail plate requires a vehicle that is specifically formulated for transungual delivery. Recent focus is emphasizing on development of a promising antifungal treatment in form of nail lacquer owing to its beneficial advantages.