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Aya Aldabagh,1 Rana Abu Farha,1 Samar Karout,2 Rania Itani,2 Khawla Abu Hammour,3 Eman Alefishat3– 5 1Department Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan; 2Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon; 3Department Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan; 4Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine and Health Science, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 5Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesCorrespondence: Eman Alefishat, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine and Health Science, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P O Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Tel +9715018466, Email Eman.alefishat@ku.ac.aePurpose: The main aim of the study is to assess physicians’ prescribing patterns using the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribing indicators among pediatric outpatient clinics, and to identify areas in need of intervention regarding the rational use of medicines among pediatric outpatients in Jordan.Methods: This is a descriptive observational cross-sectional study that was conducted at the outpatient pediatric clinics at Jordan University Hospital (JUH). During the study period, prescriptions were collected over a period of two months. Prescribing patterns were assessed using the five WHO drug prescribing indicators.Results: A total of 1011 prescriptions/encounters were assessed. More than half of the encounters were for male patients (n= 595, 58.9%), and the median age of patients was eight years (IQR = 7.9). The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter was 1.8 ± 1.3; however, a specific individual clinic, the respiratory clinic, witnessed an average of 2.1 drugs prescribed per encounter. All of the prescribed drugs were prescribed by generic name (100%). Only 47.7% of the drugs were from the essential drug list of the JUH. Overall, antibiotics were prescribed in 19.5% of the encounters, but at higher rates in some clinics such as respiratory clinics (50.8%). Injectables were prescribed in 9.5% of the 1011 encounters; however, they were prescribed at higher rates in endocrinology and neurology clinics, in 44.8% and 31.3% of encounters, respectively.Conclusion: This study revealed some adequate prescribing habits with an optimal prescribing pattern of generics and number of drugs per encounter among pediatric patients. However, the prescribing patterns of the essential drug list, antibiotics, and injectables, in specific clinics, failed to meet WHO standards. The findings of this study shed light on the need to establish national strategies to improve prescribing practices among the pediatric population.Keywords: World Health Organization, irrational drug use, pediatrics, drug prescribing indicators, outpatient, Jordan |
