Prescribing Pattern of Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs at Outpatient Departments in Government and Private Polyclinics in Sabah State

Abstract

Man has been using drugs for a long time to cure or control diseases and symptoms. Drugs can do good or can do harm to the users.The main objective of this study was to obtain baseline information regarding the prescribing pattern of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) by the qualified medical personnel in the outpatient departments (OPDs) of two selected polyclinics in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. A total of 400 prescriptions containing NSAIDs (200 from each polyclinic outpatient department) were collected, photocopied and later analyzed. The clinical conditions for which NSAIDs prescribed were identical in two clinics, although there were wide variations in the prescribing pattern with respect to pharmacological sub-classes of NSAIDs. Analgesics with no or minimal anti-inflammatory effects became the most commonly prescribed NSAIDs in the outpatient department of government UMS polyclinic (UPC). On the contrary, analgesics with potent anti-inflammatory effects became the most commonly prescribed NSAIDs in the outpatient department of one private polyclinic (PPC). Moreover, the prescribers in PPC had to prescribe additional drugs than those of the prescribers of UPC. Ultimately, the cost of prescribed NSAIDs
per prescription and the cost of total drugs per prescription became greater in PPC compared to UPC. It may be mentioned that overall prescribing pattern of NSAIDs among two clinics is satisfactory, although there may be scopes for improvement by introducing appropriate educational intervention for rational prescribing.