Prevalence of pregabalin prescribing trends from various outpatient department: A prospective observational study from a tertiary care teaching hospital at South India

ABSTRACT

Background: We assessed utilization patterns, profile of diagnoses, and fixed dose combination (FDC) with pregabalin in patients with various indications. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of pregabalin prescribing pattern among the patients attending the various outpatient departments (OPDs) of a tertiary care hospital at Trichy in South India. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based prospective observational study was planned and conducted over a period of 12 months. Patients who attended the various OPDs were included in the study. Prescriptions were collected from the respective consulting departments and pharmacy. Results: A total of 2490 patients prescription were analyzed. There was female preponderance (54.22%). Majority (45.74%) were in the age group of 51� years. General medicine was the highest (41.36%) visited patients. Neuropathic pain was the most prevalent disease condition among the various age group (57.67%), and predominant between 40 and 65 years (55.86%). Total of 12,220 drugs were prescribed, most frequently prescribed drugs belong to category of plain pregabalin 75 mg (53.37%) with female predominance, with maximum prescription from the medicine department (40%). Among the FDC, pregabalin 75 mg with nortriptyline 10 mg was the highest prescribed drug by the orthopedic department (41%). Extended release pregabalin 75 mg (13.04%) and low dose pregabalin 50 mg (2.19%) were also prescribed in our study. Conclusion: The prevalence of pregabalin prescription was maximum to neuropathic pain followed by radicular pain, trigeminal neuralgia, claudication, and herpetic neuralgia. Plain pregabalin 75 mg is preferred by most of the departments, few preferred extended release of 75 mg. Among the various FDC, pregabalin 75 mg with nortriptyline 10 mg and with methylcobalamine 750 mcg were prescribed by many departments.