Prescribing pattern of oral anti-hypertensive drugs among post-menopausal women in a teritary care hospital

Abstract

Hypertension is a major public health concern globally and is associated with high morbidity and mortality among post-menopausal women. Although antihypertensive therapy is effective in lowering blood pressure, a large proportion of patients do not have optimal blood pressure control. To study the prescribing pattern of oral antihypertensive among post-menopausal women. A prospective observational drug utilization study was conducted in General Medicine OPD & IPD at Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi, Chittur, for a period of 6 months. The study is based on the data collected from 76 patients who were post-menopausal women visiting for the treatment of hypertension. A totally 76 prescriptions were analyzed and out of 53(69.7%) were postmenopausal women having HT or both HT & diabetics. A total of 756 drugs were prescribed, 321(42.4%) were Antihypertensive, 249 (32.9%) Anti-diabetic drugs, 37 (4.8%) Hyperlipidemics, 28(3.7%) NSAIDs, 21 (2.7%) Insulin preparations, 54 (7.1%) Antibiotics, 46 (6.08%) Vitamins. A total of 321 antihypertensive drugs were prescribed. Diuretics were 49 (15.2%), Calcium channel blockers were 91 (28.3%), ACE Inhibitors were 34 (13.08%), Angiotensin Receptor Blockers were 51 (10.5%) and Beta-blockers were 27 (8.4%). Total 69 (21.4%) FDCs were prescribed. The average number of drugs prescribed per prescription was 4.29. 95% of the drugs prescribed by their brand names. Out of 321 prescribed antihypertensive, 192 (59.8%) drugs were prescribed from Essential Drug List 2016-2017. In this study it is keenly noted that calcium channel blockers are most commonly prescribed followed by diuretics, ARBs, ACE Inhibitors.The prescription of CCBs justified as these drugs have a protective role in post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and dementia. And the ARBs and ACE Inhibitors have protection in diabetes patients.