A baseline survey on prescribing indicators and the underlying factors influencing prescribing in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted to determine the prescribing indicators and the undelying factors influencing prescribing in eight hospitals, in Southern Ethiopia. The results of the quantitative survey revealed that 90.6% of the indicators do not fall within the accepted optimum range. The findings indicated the use of polypharmacy, over-use of antibiotics and injections;with regional average of 2.2 drugs per encounter, percentages of antibiotics 50% (range 4%-64%) and percentage of injections 15%( range 4%-43%). The qualitative survey conducted simultaneously identified acquired habits (75.9%), peer norms and relations (66.7%), lack of drug information (66.7%) and patient demand (64.8%) are among the major underlying factors for the irrational prescribing of drugs. The study has revealed that there is irrational prescribing of drugs for which the underlying factors were determinant to have an influence in the prescribing behaviour. An intervention strategy that is educational, managerial and regulatory in nature is highly recommended to reduce the degree of irrationality to off-set from drug misuse in the region so as to comply with the accepted norms.