Integrated Pharmacy Research and Practice (Jun 2021)
Evaluation of Rational Use of Medicine Using WHO/INRUD Core Drug Use Indicators at Teda and Azezo Health Centers, Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia
Abstract
Faisel Dula Sema,1 Esubalew Delie Asres,2 Belaynesh Dubale Wubeshet2 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; 2Schools of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Faisel Dula Sema Email [email protected]: Despite medicines are a major contributor to the health and well-being of the community, irrational use of medicines is being a serious public health crisis with significant harmful implications for patients, healthcare systems, and communities as a whole.Objective: This study was aimed at evaluating the rational use of medicine using the World Health Organization/Network of Rational Use of Drugs (WHO/INRUD) core drug use indicators at Teda and Azezo health centers of Gondar town, northwest Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1200 prescription papers retrospectively, and 60 patients prospectively at two health centers of Gondar town, northwest Ethiopia from May 01/2019 to April 30/2020. The data were collected using a standard data collection checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS® version 24. The data were analyzed descriptively by using mean, frequency, and proportion.Results: Prescribing indicators: From a total of 2595 prescribed medicines, 94% of them were prescribed by generic name; percent encounters with injection was 9.5± 0.28%, percent encounters with antibiotics was 73.85± 0.35%, and 100% of medicines were prescribed from the essential medicine list of Ethiopia. Patient care indicators: Only 16.7% of the patients knew the correct dosage of their medications, and 17.5% of dispensed medicines were adequately labeled. From the prescribed medications, only 77.17% were actually dispensed. Average consultation and dispensing time were 5.35 minutes and 40.24 seconds, respectively. Facility-specific indicators: Only 83.5% of key medicines were available in the health centers.Conclusion: According to the WHO/INRUD core drug use indicators, rational medicine use is not achieved in terms of most components of the prescribing, patient care, and facility-specific indicators. Therefore, both health centers should work towards promoting the rational use of medicines.Keywords: rational use of medicine, WHO/INRUD core drug use indicators, northwest Ethiopia
