A STUDY OF PRESCRIBING PATTERNS AT DIFFERENT HEALTH-CARE FACILITIES IN DAR-ES-SALAAM, TANZANIA

A survey of outpatient prescriptions in three district hospitals, four health centres, and ten dispensaries in Dar es Salaam region has been undertaken, and the significance of the data especially as it relates to prescribing patterns is discussed. The data indicate that the aver age number of items (drugs) per prescription in hospitals, health cent res, and dispensaries was 2.4 +/- 0.16, 2.1 +/- 0.5, and 1.9 +/- 0.2 ( +/- SD) respectively, while injections accounted for 18, 20, and 32 pe rcent of all prescriptions in hospitals, health centres and dispensari es respectively. On the other hand, antibiotics accounted for 40, 35 a nd 36 percent of all prescriptions in hospitals, health centres and di spensaries respectively. Generic prescribing was very high in all heal th facilities and accounted for approximately 80% of all prescriptions . Prescriptions containing fixed drug combinations were not common.