[Assessment of prescription in discharge reports at a university hospital].
OBJECTIVE
To determine and analyze drug prescription at hospital discharge, mainly regarding generic drug use, use of novel but irrelevant therapeutic agents and use of low therapeutic value drugs (LTVD).


METHODS
In a retrospective study 195 discharge reports from 11 different departments in a 450-bed general hospital were analyzed for a monthly period. An Access database allowed us to record the number of prescriptions, each drugs therapeutic group according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System, prescribed drugs for which generics are available, prescribed C-group drugs, LTVD drugs, etc.


RESULTS
Following an analysis of results, only 6.17% of all drugs were prescribed according to their generic name, when this would have been possible in 22.8%. If only the most efficient agents had been prescribed, savings would have amounted to 589.3 Euros. In all, 1.28% of prescribed drugs were LTVD, and 1.15% had irrelevant therapeutic value.


CONCLUSIONS
Although specialized medical prescription represents a minimum of total prescriptions in a healthcare area, measures intended to improve quality will have a positive impact on primary care prescriptions. These measures include information to physicians on more efficient preparations, plus the design of a Pharmacotherapeutic Guide to unify pharmacologic criteria in the Area.
Matoses Chirivella
M C
MC
Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital José María Morales Meseguer, Murcia. cmatoses@yahoo.es
Nájera Pérez
M D
MD
León Villar
J
J
Iranzo Fernández
M D
MD
Plaza Aniorte
J
J
Munilla Das
A
A
Romero Crespo
I
I
Ventura López
M
M
D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016568:Drugs, Generic; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain
D016568:Drugs, Generic