title: Prescribing practices of consultants at Karachi, Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To audit the prescribing practices of consultants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized sample survey of 354 consultants prescription for analysis of some basic parameters as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO).
  
  
  METHODS
  To provide feedback to the prescribers for promoting rational drug therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average number of drugs for prescription were found to be 4.51 and the average daily cost of prescribed drugs was Rs: 133.41. The antimicrobials, vitamins/minerals and injections were over-prescribed. About half of the prescribed drugs were from the National Essential Drugs List of Pakistan (NEDLP) and only a little over 12% were prescribed by their generic names.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prescribing practices of the consultants in Karachi are rather liberal and not rational. Overuse of antimicrobials and injections have been observed and there is general tendency of indulging in polypharmacy requiring continued medical education.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Bolan Medical College, Quetta, Karachi.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Badini
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baloch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parkash
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000592:standards; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008485:Medical Audit; D010154:Pakistan; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D016568:Drugs, Generic; D014815:Vitamins