A Cross Sectional Study to Analyze Drug Utilization Pattern of Pain Clinic in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Central India

Pain is associated with increased prevalence of chronic diseases which adversely affects the quality of life of patients. This also leads to increased demand of drugs for chronic pain relief. Drug utilization pattern studies of pain clinic are therefore important to ascertain rational use of medicines in healthcare system.The study aims to evaluate drug utilization pattern in pain clinic of a tertiary care teaching hospital.

A cross sectional study was done by analyzing prescriptions of patients at pain clinic of MYH Hospital of Indore, MP, India, for a period of 3 months from November 2021 to January 2022. Total 260 prescriptions were analyzed on the basis of WHO core prescribing indicators, FDC (Fixed Dose Combinations) & NLEM (National List of Essential Medicines) list by using descriptive statistics.

Study results showed that analgesics were most commonly prescribed in the age grou p 41-60 years. Lower back pain (28.8%) was the most common indication for prescribing analgesics in pain clinic with a female preponderance of 57.7%. Out of total 639 drugs, Fixed Dose Combinations (FDC)(76.2%) were more than single drugs (24.8%). 59.3% of drugs were concomitant medications. 80% (220) FDCs were generic and Gabapentin+Nortryptiline (31.8%) was the commonest FDC. Pregabalin was the most commonly prescribed single drug preparation. Average number of drugs per encounter were 2.45 and generic prescribing was 85.7%. Total 46% of medicines were prescribed from NLEM.

We found that FDC, generic prescribing and concomitant medications use was higher in our study. The study guides for rational prescribing of analgesics to maximize pain relief and minimize adverse effects associated with it.