Morbidity and Drug Utilization Pattern among Pregnant Admitted Anemic Women and to Find Out Rationality of Drug by Using Indian Guidelines

Background: Pregnancy represents a special physiological state during which the use of drug is of growing concern due to risk of teratogenicity. Anemia is common threat to mother. Therefore, our aim was to study the drug utilization, teratogenic risk among patients of anemia in pregnancy and check rationality of prescriptions.

Materials and Methods: An observational, prospective study was carried out in 150 indoor patients in the tertiary care hospital. Protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The data were collected in a pre-designed proforma. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 20.0 Software.

Results: Among 150 patients, 23, 111 and 16 were of less than 20, 20 to 30 and more than 30 years of age respectively. Among anemic patients Pregnancy induced hypertension (18.7%), antepartum haemorrhage (12.7%) were common. About 71% women have complaint of weakness followed by headache. Iron (93.3%) and calcium (86.0%) were the commonest drugs prescribed. Iron sucrose and packed cell volume given in severe anemia. Drug Risk Category, Category-A (90.21%) was most frequently prescribed which is followed by Category-B (8.0%) and category-C (1.8%). Percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name and from essential drug list were 70.3 and 89.2. Overall prescribing habit was rational according to Indian guideline.

Conclusion: Iron, Calcium and Folic acid were most commonly prescribed drugs in anemic patients. No teratogenic risk was found out during drug use. Drug and dose of the drug was rational and appropriate. There is lesser number of drugs prescribed by generic name and hospital supply.