Prescribing Patterns of Antibiotics at Two Teaching Hospitals in Sanandaj
We report here the results of a prospective analysis of the pattern of antibiotics use over a one month period (May 2009) at two teaching hospitals in Sanandaj, western part of Iran. Data on antibiotic usage were obtained from the pharmacy services. Data was coded, computed and analyzed using SPSS version 11.5.A total of 1336 and 556 patients from Beasat and Tohid hospital respectively received antibiotic. Male patients represented 758 (41.5%) and females 1080 (58.5%) of the total number of patients evaluated by physicians at the two hospitals during the one month period. Usage of antibiotics varied from hospital to hospital; Beasat hospital had the highest usage. The ward-wise distribution of antibiotic use showed that the prevalence of prescribing was highest in the post partum ward (66.58%). Similarly, among Tohid hospital wards, men surgical ward and women surgical ward prescribed antibiotics significantly more than all other wards. The route of administration of antibiotics was parentrally for 85.5% and 88.2% at Beasat anf Tohid hospitals respectively. The distribution of use of individual antibiotics showed that cepfzoline was the most frequently prescribed antibiotics used at both the hospitals. Delivery (childbirth) and pneumonia were the most frequent diagnosed pat tern for which an antibiotic was prescribed at Beasat and Tohid hospital respectively. In conclusion our study suggests that there is considerable scope for improving prescribing pattern among the practitioners and minimizing the use of antibiotics. The improvement would be facilitated by providing feedback, prescriber education and hospital formulary.