Prescription audit of Corticosteroids in Dermatology OPD of a tertiary care teaching hospital of tribal region of central-south India.

Objectives: To assess the utilization pattern of Corticosteroids in tertiary care teaching hospital of Bastar district, a tribal region of Chhattisgarh state at central-south India. Methods: All the prescriptions issued to the patients attending the dermatology OPD from January 2015 to March 2015 were recorded and assessed as per WHO guidelines for Drug Utilization Studies. Results: The total number of drugs prescribed in the 3650 prescriptions was 10,002 with the average number of drugs per prescription being 2.74. Corticosteroids were prescribed in 753 prescriptions (20.63% of all prescriptions). Corticosteroid is most commonly prescribed for Allergic Contact Dermatitis. Corticosteroid were most commonly given by the topical route (70.87%). Injectable Corticosteroids were prescribed only in 3.88% of total Corticosteroid use. High potency corticosteroids were prescribed most frequently (55.34%) followed by moderate potency (33.48%). Very high potency drugs were prescribed only in 63 out of 730 (8.63%). Most of the steroids were prescribed by generic names (88.98%). Duration of application was not mentioned in 62.95%. Conclusions: Use of Corticosteroids were not the top in list but adequate information was not written in some of the records with regard to the site of application, duration and quantity of the corticosteroid to be dispensed. Use of the drugs mostlyby generic name is a welcome initiative towards the rationality. Prescribing practice of high potent and moderate potent topical corticosteroids was found to be high.