title: A drug utilization study to provide background data for bringing amendments in the drug dispensing policy of a pediatric referral center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to generate data regarding the drug utilization pattern in pediatric population of our tertiary care hospital so that we could generate an essential medicine list (EML).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Drug therapy accounts for a major portion of expenditure toward health care. Reduction in health care cost for an individual can be achieved by lowering the cost of drug treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an observational study conducted in the Advanced Pediatric Centre of our hospital, during which prescriptions and case records were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study a total of 891 prescriptions were reviewed. Antibiotics and nutritional supplements were the major drugs prescribed. A large percentage of drugs were prescribed as trade names. Eighty three per cent of the drugs were prescribed from the National List Of Essential Medicine 2003 (India). Antibiotics accounted for the major bulk of cost of drugs, most of which were purchased by the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Restricted use of newer antibiotics, branded drugs and prescribing from the EML could be considered as targets for reduction of cost of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Inderjeet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Rajan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Nusrat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shafiq
authors.forename: Bhavneet
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bharati
authors.forename: Ramesh Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Nigah
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pandhi
authors.forename: Ranjeet Roy
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malhotra
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003906:Developing Countries; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017723:Drug Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs