DRUG UTILIZATION PATTERN OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS IN MEDICINE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Background: Antimicrobials are frequently used in tertiary care hospitals. It is estimated that 50% of all antibiotics prescribed are either the wrong drug, dose, or duration. To evaluate the drug utilization pattern of antimicrobial agents (AMAs) in Objective: the Medicine Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of a Tertiary Care Hospital. Observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in the MICU o Materials And Methods: f a Tertiary Care Hospital for 1.5 years. Analysis of 385 prescriptions was done to determine the drug utilization pattern. Later, prescriptions were assessed according to WHO core drug use indicators. In 385 prescriptions analysed, 23 AMAs were prescribed 65 Results: 3 times. Average number of AMAs per prescription was 1.7 ± 0.62. Most common AMA prescribed was Ceftriaxone 125 (19.14%). Most common diagnosis encountered was pneumonitis 44 (11.43%). Half of the prescriptions (52.99%) contained two AMAs. 60.87% AMAs were prescribed by their generic names, 20.67% as FDCs. Polypharmacy was observed in 61.29% of prescriptions, while the hospital pharmacy supplied 100% of the AMAs. Conclusion: The present study emphasizes the crucial role of AMAs in MICU. Furthermore, it highlights the pressing need for rational drug utilization to optimize patient outcomes and combat antimicrobial resistance.