Assessment of Prescribing Pattern of Drugs in the Management of Obstructive Lung Diseases and Respiratory Tract Infections

Background: Obstructive Diseases of Lungs such as Bronchial Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are public reason of ill health and death in India. The methodology to study drug use can be used as a tool to recognize whether medication use is as appropriate in management of specific subject. Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRD) such as Bronchial Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (COLD) may account for a predictable encumbrance of about one hundred million individuals in India. The procedure of drug utilization review (DUR) can arrange for worthwhile means of determining whether drug use is as proper in cure of single patient. Objectives: The foremost goals of this study are to evaluate the demographic particulars of patients with obstructive disease of lungs and to study the drug utilization pattern in obstructive lung ailment and respiratory infections in patients. Study Design: A Cross Sectional study was carried out in the General Medicine Department in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Karnataka, using a well-designed patient data collection form. Results: Among 102 cases of obstructive lung diseases and respiratory tract infections analysed, 65(63.36%) patients were males and 74 (36.64%) were females. 49 patients (48.03%) were found to be smokers, 41 (40.19%) were ex-smokers, 55 (53.9%) were alcoholics (16%), 12 were non-smokers (11.76%) and 29 were non-alcoholics (28.43%) and 18 was ex-alcoholic (17.68%). The class of drugs prescribed mostly were antibiotics (100%), followed by anti-cholinergics (78.43%), Short acting β-2 agonists (92.15%), inhaled corticosteroids (26.47%), Methylxanthines (69.60%), systemic corticosteroids (32.35%), Long acting β-2 agonist (9.80%) and secretolytic agents (18.6%), antihistamines (27.45%), combination of short acting β-2 agonist + Long acting β-2 agonist (26.47%). Conclusion: Obstructive Lung diseases are more prominent in smokers when compared to nonsmokers. The pattern of drug utilization is inadequate. GOLD guidelines can be properly followed for prescribing drugs for obstructive lung diseases and can achieve total control.