A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study of Drug Utilization and Prescription Pattern in Intensive Care Unit at Multispecialty Hospital

Background: Drug usage studies and prescription pattern monitoring in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) play a pivotal role in optimizing patient care, ensuring safety, managing resources effectively, improving quality, and advancing medical knowledge and practice. The purpose of the study was to generate data on drug utilization patterns and determine the rationality of prescriptions using WHO core indicators. Materials and Methods: A record-based, cross-sectional, observational study was carried out at the ICU of Shraddha Hospital, Borsad, Gujarat. The demographics of the patients, drug usage patterns, and Defined Daily Dose (DDD)/100-bed days of frequently utilized medication in the ICU department were investigated. Results: A total of 178 patients were analyzed, with a mean age of 52.06±17.5 years and male predominance (67%). The most common concurrent illnesses were hypertension and diabetes mellitus. A total of 2,352 prescription drugs have been prescribed. The mean number of drugs for each prescription seemed to be 13.21±5. Parenteral administration was the most used route, accounting for 61.18%. Ondansetron was the most prescribed medication, followed by pantoprazole, furosemide, ceftriaxone, budesonide, and aspirin. Conclusion: There were too many prescription drugs prescribed for each patient on average; however, polypharmacy may be unavoidable during the patient's stay in the intensive care unit due to various illnesses. Improving prescribing trends involves reducing the quantity of drugs per prescription and emphasizing the use of generic medications. This approach not only enhances the efficacy of prescriptions but also alleviates the financial burden on patients.