According to a recent study that was published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR), doctors at prestigious government facilities like Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS write prescriptions that stray from accepted treatment protocols in almost half of the cases. The frequency, kind, and possible effects of these aberrations on patient care and healthcare expenses are clarified by this study.
The study examined 4,838 prescriptions from outpatient departments (OPDs) in 13 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Rational Use of Medicine Centers located in tertiary care institutions throughout India. Each prescriber in the study had between four and eighteen years of experience and was a post-graduate in their field. Even with this degree of experience, the investigation discovered a sizable amount of criteria that were broken.
About 10% of the prescriptions had “unacceptable” deviations, according to the study, even though the majority of deviations were judged “acceptable” because they did not immediately endanger the patient’s health. These undesirable variances may result in unfavorable consequences such antibiotic resistance, drug interactions, lack of therapeutic response, higher treatment costs, and avoidable adverse drug responses.
Anal fissure patients, for instance, were given two antibiotic prescriptions, which is against recommended treatment guidelines that advocate topical therapy unless the problem is due to other systemic conditions. This instance of needless antibiotic use is unsatisfactory since it raised treatment costs, increased the danger of antibiotic resistance, and increased the possibility of harmful medication reactions. On the other hand, acceptable variations included partial prescriptions that did not materially affect patient safety or therapeutic efficacy in terms of formulation, dose, duration, or frequency.
The study found that community medicine, ENT (ear, nose, and throat), and pediatrics were the OPDs with the highest rates of deviations. Researchers found that deviations in community medicine were more common, perhaps as a result of the fact that junior doctors frequently oversee these outpatient departments. This shows that more supervision and training are necessary to guarantee that treatment protocols are followed, especially by practitioners with less expertise.
The study’s conclusions highlight how crucial it is to follow accepted treatment protocols in order to provide patients with the best care possible and reduce the hazards connected to improper prescription practices. The researchers suggest strengthening the oversight of prescription practices and bolstering healthcare providers’ education and training on conventional treatment regimens. This can entail ongoing audits, ongoing medical education initiatives, and the deployment of computerized prescription systems that highlight guideline inconsistencies.
Furthermore, promoting the prudent use of antibiotics is essential to combating the problem of antimicrobial resistance. The study’s conclusions about the overprescription of antibiotics for ailments like anal fissures emphasize how urgently measures to stop this behavior are needed. Policymakers and healthcare organizations need to work together to create policies that promote evidence-based prescription practices and discourage the overuse of antibiotics.
Even if the study’s majority of prescription deviations did not have immediate negative effects, the sizeable percentage of unacceptable deviations necessitates immediate attention to enhance prescribing standards in India’s best government hospitals. Following treatment recommendations will improve patient safety and treatment results, lower medical expenses, and counteract the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
SOURCE:
TIMES OF INDIA
