The Outpatient Prescribing Pattern of Topical Lidocaine in Al Seih

Abstract

Aim: The present study aimed to describe the prescribing pattern of topical lidocaine in the outpatient setting in Al Seih. Methodology: This is a retrospective study that includes reviewing the electronic prescriptions that contained topical lidocaine among outpatients in a public hospital in Al Seih. Results: More than 52% of the patients who received topical lidocaine were males and the age of 36.84% of them was between 30 and 39 years.  Most of the patients who received topical lidocaine for 7 days (64.47%). Topical lidocaine prescriptions were written mainly by residents (96.05%). More than 55% of the topical lidocaine prescriptions were prescribed by the emergency department and 38.16% of the prescriptions were prescribed by general surgery department. Conclusion: The present study showed that the prescribing of topical lidocaine was uncommon in Al Seih. Further studies are required to investigate the pattern and the frequency of topical lidocaine and other topical anesthetics in the outpatients setting and in other settings.