title: A study of prescribing patterns with special reference to drug use indicators in Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania.
abstract: Drug prescribing patterns were studied in 720 retrospective and 779 prospective outpatient prescriptions from 20 dispensaries in Dar es Salaam region, and these revealed a mean drug exposure of 2.0 and 2.3, respectively. The percentage of patients leaving the dispensaries with no prescribed drugs was 1.3% and 0.7%, respectively. Prescriptions containing antibiotics were 36.8% (retrospective) and 39.8% (prospective), while injections accounted for 24.6% and 34% of the total encounters, respectively. Over 70% of prescriptions conformed to the Tanzania essential drug list (EDP) and/or standard treatment guidelines and consisted of 83.9% and 79.1% generic prescriptions, respectively. Interestingly, only 15% of the surveyed dispensaries had an EDP book and/or calendar. Despite the consulting and dispensing times being short (2.98 min and 77.7 s, respectively), 70% of the patients could remember the dosing instructions. Only 64% of the patients had a minimum physical examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: A Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Massele
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ofori-Adjei
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Laing
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013636:Tanzania
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents