The Prescribing Pattern of Medications in the Cardiology Outpatient Department of a Public Hospital
Nehad J. Ahmed *
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to describe the prescribing pattern of medications in the cardiology outpatient department of a public hospital.
Methodology: This is a retrospective study included collecting data from outpatient pharmacy prescriptions from a public hospital in Alkharj. The data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and after that the descriptive data was represented as percentages and frequencies.
Results: The most prescribed medication was aspirin (11.6%) followed by bisoprolol (8.06), atorvastatin (7.5%) and furosemide (6.79%). Most of the prescriptions were written by residents (85.15%). Most of the medications were prescribed as tablets (88.26%) and capsules (9.05%).
Conclusion: It is important to evaluate the prescribing pattern of medications in the cardiology department to ensure that these medications are prescribed appropriately and to increase the awareness of the health-care professionals about these medications.
Keywords: Cardiology, outpatient, prescribing pattern, medications