title: A survey of multiple prescriptions dispensed in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: A study of out-patient prescriptions in King Fahad Hospital, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia was undertaken. Prescribing patterns of 200 doctors were surveyed. For each doctor ten out-patient prescriptions were randomly selected for analysis during month of January 2000. The prescriptions were coded and analysed. Multivitamins and antibiotics were the drugs most frequently prescribed: a finding that suggests either a high degree of malnutrition and infectious disease or misuse of those drugs. Other commonly prescribed drugs are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Hamdard University, Karachi-74600, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Khwaja Zafar
authors.initials: KZ
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Abdul Rehman
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Al-Saadi
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017723:Drug Utilization Review / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014815:Vitamins