title: Disease pattern and prescribing at the University of Zimbabwe students health service, 1987-1991.
abstract: The trends in drug use, expenditure and disease pattern at the University of Zimbabwe students' health facility over a period of five years (1987-1991), were analysed retrospectively. The study also analysed the use of the essential drugs concept and the drug situation in Zimbabwe. A total of 1,500 cases which were randomly selected were studied. The total student population over this period was 44,030. Data collection sheets where utilised to extract information from patients' cards. Requisition order books and budgets for drugs and medical appliances and student population statistical data were analysed. Males accounted for 75.7 pc of the cases and the average age at the time of the visit was 22.04 years. The percentage of cases involving married students was 2.53 pc of which 94.74 pc were males. The total expenditure of drugs and medical appliances for the study period was $412,413.55 and most of the items were supplied by the Government Medical Stores. The most prevalent disease conditions were respiratory tract infections (35 pc) and urinary tract infections (16.3 pc). The disease pattern differed from that at district, general and provincial hospitals. The total number of drugs dispensed for the 1,500 students was 2,600, giving an average of 1.7 drugs per case. Analgesics were the most widely used drugs (28.5 pc), followed by anti-infectives (28.2 pc). The most popular analgesic used was paracetamol which accounted for 66.6 pc of the analgesics. Antibiotics accounted for 88.1 pc of the anti-infectives and 24.9 pc of the total number of drugs dispensed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bvochora
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Kasilo
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Nhachi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016527:Drug Costs; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D015995:Prevalence; D013333:Student Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D015030:Zimbabwe