PRESCRIBING PATTERNS OF AMBULATORY CARE PHYSICIANS IN SAUDI-ARABIA

The drug prescribing pattems of ambulatory care physicians in the Mini stry of Health (MOH) hospitals were studied by examining 10,291 system atically sampled prescriptions obtained from 22 general hospitals cove ring the various health regions within Saudi Arabia. An audit of presc ription information revealed that documentation was not generally comp lete. Information relating to patient age and diagnosis was missing in 18.6% and 9.8% of the prescriptions, respectively. The average number of drugs per prescription was 2.1 +/- 0.95. The most frequently presc ribed drug categories were systemic anti-infectives, analgesics/antipy retics, and vitamin preparations, respectively. Paracetamol, ampicilli n, antacid preparations, and vitamin B complex were the specific drugs that ranked high in the frequency of prescription. The pattems of dru g use observed in this study indicate a trend for the overprescribing of certain categories of drugs. The need to improve current drug polic y and drug prescribing is discussed with a recommendation for the esta blishment of a Pharmacoepidemiology Unit to monitor drug use in Saudi Arabia.