A study of utilization pattern of drugs in HIV positive patients at antiretroviral therapy centre of a tertiary care teaching hospital

ABSTRACT

Background: Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and subsequent acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continues to be a major public health problem. Treatment and therapeutic guidelines have evolved over a period of time. Drug utilization study helps to evaluate changing pattern of drug use, compliance with national guidelines and rational use of drugs.Methods: Authors conducted observational, non interventional, descriptive study in outdoor HIV positive patients for one year. We have analysed collected data using descriptive statistics to determine drug use indicators and utilization pattern of drugs.Results: Study showed that average number of drugs per encounter was 3.96. The most commonly prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART) regime was combination of zidovudine, lamivudine with nevirapine (51.92%). Among antiretroviral drugs prescribed, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (49.45%) were the most common drug subclass and lamivudine (33.33%) was the most common antiretroviral drug. Second most common medication class was antibacterial agents (18.77%) and co-trimoxazole (10.11%) was the most common antibacterial agent. The third most commonly prescribed drug class was vitamins namely folic acid and multivitamins (2.63 %). Percentage of encounters with an antibiotic prescribed was 41.46%. Tuberculosis was the most common opportunistic infection. In 90.05% of encounters with ART prescriptions, adherence was more than 95%.Conclusions: Overall the results suggest that the prescribing pattern to be in accordance with national guidelines and reflect changing patterns of drug usage in HIV positive patients in World. Drug use indicators reflect rational approach to prescribing pattern.