Research in ophthalmology in India has raised concerns about the improper selection and prescription of essential and generic medicines. To address this, the current study analyzed drug usage patterns in the ophthalmology department of a tertiary care hospital. This study was prospective and observational, conducted from January to December 2021. It included patients visiting the ophthalmology OPD but excluded those with glaucoma, cataracts, and hospitalized cases. Patient information was documented in a Case Record Form, and data was analyzed using MS Excel 2019 with descriptive statistics. Over one year, 119 patients were included in the study, with an average of 1.83 drugs per patient. Lubricants (35.45%) and antimicrobials were the most frequently prescribed drug categories, with 78% of antimicrobial prescriptions belonging to the fluoroquinolone group. Of the 217 drugs prescribed, 96% were by brand name, and 86% were not listed in the WHO Essential Drug List. Additionally, 95% of prescriptions did not contain any fixed-dose combinations (FDCs). The majority of drugs were administered topically (74%), while the remaining 26% were given orally. The study shows that the average number of drugs per prescription matches WHO standards, with most prescriptions not including FDCs. However, only a few drugs were prescribed as generics or from the essential drug list. Greater awareness among prescribers regarding the benefits of essential and generic drug prescribing is necessary to optimize drug utilization in ophthalmology practice.
IJPRAS
