Volume 23, Issue 2 (9-2025)
sjsph 2025, 23(2): 173-184 |
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Mosleh A, Amini N, Sehati M, Soroush M, Askarian H. Analysis of Prescriptions in Pharmacies of Tehran University of Medical Sciences at the Primary Health Care (PHC) Level, Based on WHO Drug Prescribing Indicators: A Cross-Sectional Study 2016-2023. sjsph 2025; 23 (2) :173-184
URL: http://sjsph.tums.ac.ir/article-1-6424-en.html
URL: http://sjsph.tums.ac.ir/article-1-6424-en.html
1- Ph.D. Ministry of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , amosleh08@gmail.com
2- Ph.D. Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, Ministry of Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Ph.D. Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, Ministry of Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3- MS.c. Medical Education, Ministry of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, MS.c. Medical Education, Ministry of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4- Ph.D. Islamshahr Health and Treatment center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Ph.D. Islamshahr Health and Treatment center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5- MD. South Tehran Health Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, MD. South Tehran Health Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Ph.D. Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, Ministry of Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Ph.D. Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, Ministry of Health,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3- MS.c. Medical Education, Ministry of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, MS.c. Medical Education, Ministry of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4- Ph.D. Islamshahr Health and Treatment center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Ph.D. Islamshahr Health and Treatment center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5- MD. South Tehran Health Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, MD. South Tehran Health Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (200 Views)
Background and Aim: Rationalizing drug use is a priority in drug policy-making. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the evaluation of prescriptions using drug prescribing indicators. Improving prescribing patterns leads to closer alignment with WHO indicators and, consequently, promotes rational drug use.
Materials and Methods: In this study, ten prescriptions were randomly selected from each pharmacy on a monthly basis. WHO prescribing indicators, including the average number of drug items per prescription and the percentage of prescriptions containing at least one antibiotic, one injectable drug, and one injectable corticosteroid, were calculated. The sample size of the prescriptions evaluated over eight consecutive years, stratified by network/center, was 4,800 in Shahr-e Rey, 14,520 in Eslamshahr, and 5,880 in the South Tehran Health Center.
Results: The average number of drug items per prescription ranged from a minimum of 2.5 to a maximum of 3.99, showing a considerable difference from the WHO-recommended average of 1.7. The percentage of prescriptions containing at least one antibiotic fluctuated from 33.36% to 63.93%, which was substantially higher than the WHO-recommended average of 20.3%.
Additionally, the percentage of prescriptions containing at least one injectable drug ranged from 23.7% to 44.9%, differing markedly from the WHO-recommended average of 18.75%.
Conclusions: Rationalizing drug use should be prioritized in drug policies. Adopting a principled prescription-writing model based on WHO indicators can serve as an appropriate criterion for evaluating physicians’ prescriptions at the primary health care (PHC) level.
Materials and Methods: In this study, ten prescriptions were randomly selected from each pharmacy on a monthly basis. WHO prescribing indicators, including the average number of drug items per prescription and the percentage of prescriptions containing at least one antibiotic, one injectable drug, and one injectable corticosteroid, were calculated. The sample size of the prescriptions evaluated over eight consecutive years, stratified by network/center, was 4,800 in Shahr-e Rey, 14,520 in Eslamshahr, and 5,880 in the South Tehran Health Center.
Results: The average number of drug items per prescription ranged from a minimum of 2.5 to a maximum of 3.99, showing a considerable difference from the WHO-recommended average of 1.7. The percentage of prescriptions containing at least one antibiotic fluctuated from 33.36% to 63.93%, which was substantially higher than the WHO-recommended average of 20.3%.
Additionally, the percentage of prescriptions containing at least one injectable drug ranged from 23.7% to 44.9%, differing markedly from the WHO-recommended average of 18.75%.
Conclusions: Rationalizing drug use should be prioritized in drug policies. Adopting a principled prescription-writing model based on WHO indicators can serve as an appropriate criterion for evaluating physicians’ prescriptions at the primary health care (PHC) level.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Public Health
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