Abstract

Dr. Syed Mohammed**, Lubna Tasneem, Saayefa Tarerah, Sara Mehtab, R. Priya

ABSTRACT

Drug utilization pattern studies are essential tools for assessing prescribing practices and identifying opportunities for optimization. This prospective observational study aimed to analyze the drug utilization pattern and polypharmacy prevalence in the obstetrics and gynecology department of a tertiary care teaching hospital. A prospective observational study was conducted over 6 months (December 2025 to May 2026) in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department of an 1100-bedded tertiary care teaching hospital. Data were collected directly from 156 patient bedside files including patient demographics, clinical diagnoses, and detailed information on prescribed medications including dosage, frequency, and drug combinations. The mean age of patients was 32.6±9.2 years with majority in the 30-39 years age group (38.5%). Thirty-five different diagnoses were identified, with Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (15.4%) being most common. The average number of drugs per prescription was 4.8, significantly exceeding WHO recommendations of ≤2.0. Polypharmacy was present in prescriptions. Antibiotics were prescribed in 92.3% of cases, with PPIs in 89.7% and analgesics in 58%. All prescribed drugs (100%) were from the WHO Essential Medicines List and NLEM 2019. Generic prescribing was practiced in 93.2% of prescriptions. The study reveals universal polypharmacy in gynecological prescribing, substantially exceeding WHO recommendations. Implementation of rational prescribing guidelines and periodic monitoring of prescribing practices is essential.