Abstract:

Background: Inappropriate prescribing among physicians leads to irrational prescribing. The use of brand name rather than generic names in prescribing result in increase of health care cost and it also increase morbidity and mortality. Rational prescribing forms the corner stone of successful implementation of the rational of drugs (1, 2).

Methodology: A retrospective cross sectional study was carried out at outpatient department of MRRH from October 2018 to April 2019. The study included 246 patient prescriptions where by every fifth prescription was taken the required information was filled in the data collection tool. Data obtained were analysed by SPSS version 20.

Result and discussion: A of 246 patient prescription were studied and 68 of prescriptions were found to have brand name drugs. Proportional of brand and generic prescribing was found to be 13.84% and 86.16% respectively. Vitamins and minerals were found to be the most common drug prescribed by brand with a proportion of 25.5% of all drugs prescribed in brand names. Out of 513 prescribed drugs antimicrobials were found to be the most commonly drugs prescribed at MRRH which contributed to 27.7% of all drugs prescribed. The finding are comparable to the study done in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in which the prevalence of generic prescribing was 80%.

Conclusion and recommendations: There is irrational prescribing of brand and antimicrobial at MRRH could be a risk to the increase of health care cost and increase of the antimicrobials resistance. The irrational prescribing can be avoided through the orientation and training to physicians on rational drug use.