Rational Prescription Pattern of Antibiotics: A Quantitative Analysis Based on Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College and Hospital (KYAMCH), Sirajganj, Bangladesh

Abstract

Antibiotics, alternatively known as antibacterial drugs, prevent or reduce the development of germs. A decade has been added to the life expectancy of human beings since the discovery of antibiotics. Antibiotic overuse can result in resistance to a wide spectrum of diseases and bacteria. Antibiotic utility is being jeopardized by the rise of resistance. There aren't enough innovative agents to deal with the problem of resistant strains. The current study targeted to highlight the current status of antibiotic use.The study was designed as a prescription-based survey where the medicines in prescriptions were checked containing antibiotics, whether the drugs were prescribed rationally or not. The study was conducted from February to July 2018 at Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College and Hospital, Bangladesh. Patient’s data were collected through review of patient medical records and prepared questionnaires. 100 people were interviewed, and their prescriptions were captured as photos and then checked for rationality.The antibiotics are prescribed in the group of 10 to 30 years, 31 to 50 years and more than 50 years of age.The survey demonstrated that 46% of patients know about antibiotics partially, about 74% of patients fulfill their entire course of medication and the rest of the patients stop taking medication after feeling better. Only 21% of patients knew about antibiotic resistance, whereas 37% of patients only heard about antibiotic resistance. According to the age group from low to high, 92.9%, 91.67%, 86.36% prescriptions were rational; 2.4%, 2.78%, 4.55% prescriptions were contraindicated and 4.7%, 5.56%, 9.1% prescriptions where medicines interacted with other non-antibiotic drugs, respectively. The overall rational prescription is 91%, whereas 3% of prescriptions are contraindicated and 6% of prescriptions showed interaction between antibiotics and other drugs (non-antibiotics).The study concluded that lack of knowledge and awareness of patients and inaccurate prescription data by physicians are two key factors that contribute to irrational antibiotic usage.