Assessment of Antimicrobial Utilization and Prescribing Pattern among the Health Care Professionals at a Tertiary Care Rural Teaching Hospital in Southern India

Aims: To monitor the antimicrobial utilization; identify the preferred group of antibiotics in outpatient services, determine the prescribing pattern of antibiotics by consultants in a rural teaching hospital, evaluate the inappropriate usage of antibiotics among population and evaluate the patients knowledge about use of antimicrobials taken for their illness.
Methodology: A period of 24 months of investigation is carried out towards prescribing antibiotics and the inappropriate usage of antibiotics among rural population who attended outpatient departments were elicited by Questionnaires survey method and analysed in relation to rational use of antibiotics. The patients were also interviewed for their knowledge regarding drugs, sources, dose, duration and frequency of the drugs.
Results: The percentage of distribution of various group of antibiotics in the years of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 were Sulphonamide (SULP) (4.42%, 1.1%), Penicillin (Pn) (52.4%, 9%), Fluroquinolones (FQs) (24.9%, 44%), Cephalosporins (CPs) (1.2%, 5.2%), Broad spectrum antibiotics (BSA) (3.4%, 3.6%), Macrolide (Mac) (1.3%, 5.2%), Antiprotozoal drug (APD)-metronidazole (12.3%, 12.7%) and fixed dose combination (FDC) (0.2%, 3.6%) respectively. Many practitioners were not aware of Multidrug Resistance (MDR) (50.5%) nor the type of infections (52.6%) or the group of antibiotics (57.9%) exhibiting resistance.
Conclusion: Antibiotics are considered as the second most prescribed drugs in the world. In our study, 76.2% were prescribed with antibiotics in their prescription. Analysis of utilization of antibiotics in pharmacy during the year of 2010-2011 revealed a reduction in antibiotic use compared to 2009–2010. Further awareness required to the prescribers and beneficiaries regarding antimicrobial resistance.