Consequences of over‐prescribing on the dispensing process in rural Nepal

• Published in: Tropical medicine & international health Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 151 - 154
• Main Authors: Holloway, Kathleen A., Gautam, Bharat R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.02.2001; Blackwell Science
• Subjects: Ambulatory Care Facilities - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; developing countries; dispensing; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Prescriptions - economics; Drug Prescriptions - statistics & numerical data; Drug Utilization - statistics & numerical data; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Nepal; Pharmaceutical Preparations - supply & distribution; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; prescribing; Quality of Health Care; Rural Health; Tropical medicine; Asia; Nepal; Drug; Rural environment; Medical prescription; Statistical study
• ISSN: 1360-2276; 1365-3156
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3156.2001.00695.x

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of increasing numbers of drugs prescribed on the dispensing process in rural Nepal. DESIGN Cross‐sectional survey, on average 25 exiting patients per facility in 33 government health facilities. OUTCOME MEASURES Percentage of cases where there was a dispensing error, and where the patient knew the dosing schedules of the dispensed drugs. RESULTS A greater number of drug items prescribed and dispensed per patient was significantly associated with a greater percentage of cases where there was a dispensing error (P=0.00000), and where the patient did not know the dosing schedules of the dispensed drugs (P=0.00000). CONCLUSION The prescribing (and dispensing) of more drugs per patient, an indication of over‐prescription, is associated with significantly poorer dispensing.