Abstract

DRUG UTILIZATION TRENDS IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS ACROSS INDIA: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

S. K. Abdul Saleem*, G. Raveendra Babu, M. Kishore Babu, P. Manogna, Hema Hasini, Bhargav, K. Bhanu Tejaswar, D. Manikanta Manohar

ABSTRACT

In India's multilayered healthcare system and especially in tertiary care hospitals dealing with complicated cases, drug utilization research is essential to enhance the rationality of prescribing practices. This review exposes the problem of polypharmacy (3-5 drugs/prescription), which raises concerns about potential drug interactions as well as the financial burden on patients. There is variable compliance to the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) with a greater tendency to prescribe branded medicines instead of generics. There is also a notable overuse of prescribed antibiotics, which is worrying from the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) perspective, as well as their injectable forms. The commonest drug classes prescribed are antimicrobials, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, or analgesics, and CNS stimulants. Obstacles facing rational drug use arise from insufficient prescribereducation, the influence of pharmaceutical sales, a large number of patients needing treatment, the dispensing of partial prescriptions, and delays within the drug supply system. This review calls for immediate action, including continuous medical education, rigorous policies on the prescribing of non-branded generics, DUR programs, and antimicrobial stewardship programs to improve the reliability and safety, cost-efficiency of drug utilization in public healthcare and enhance Indian tertiary care patient and population health.

Keywords: 1. Prevalence of Polypharmacy, 2. Low Adherence to Generic Prescribing, 3. Antibiotic Overuse and AMR Concerns, 4. Variable NLEM Compliance, 5. Systemic Challenges and Need for Targeted Interventions