1195-1205
PRESCRIPTION PATTERN OF DRUGS USED IN MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL – A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY
Authors: Immanuel Jebastine M*1 , Nasmi N 2 , Neena Elias 2 , Neethu V V2 , B Arul 3

Number of views: 441
Abstract: This study was conducted about the prescription pattern of drugs used in rheumatoid arthritis includes obtain
information about various anti-rheumatoid drugs prescribing pattern, to calculate the average number of anti-rheumatoid drugs
per prescription and to find out the drug-drug interaction present in the each prescription. The study is conducted in the
orthopaedics department of VMKVMCH in Salem district, Tamil Nadu between months of November 2014 to April 2015. The
data is collected from the case records and the information is recorded on age, gender, associate illness, articular
manifestations, laboratory measurements and study of prescription, which include DMARDS, STEROIDS, NSAIDs and the type
of combinations.The results showed that, RA was commonly seen in female patients. Out of 150 patients 13(8.6%) patients were
males and 137(91.3%) patients were females. The present study also revealed that RA commonly occurred in average age of
50.07±10.49. Combination therapy was preferred over monotherapy in the management of RA, in that 3 drug and 5 drug therapy
was most preferred over other combinations. The overall drug usages in this study revealed that a total of 552 drugs were
prescribed. Out of which, Hydroxychloroquine was most prescribed [111(20.10%)] followed by Paracetamol in [103(18.75%)],
Diclofenac in [88(15.94%)], sulfasalazine in [86(15.57%)], methotrexate in [41(7.42%)], methylprednisolone in [40(7.24%)],
Aceclofenac in [21(3.80%)], tramadol and the combination of Seratopeptidase in [17(3.07%], prednisolone in [13(2.3%)],
sodium chondrotinsulfate and sodium hyalourate in [4(0.7%)], Ibuprofen, Chloroquine and indomethacin in [2(0.3%)], patient.
Among this 150 patients, 15 cases with co-morbidities like hypertension in 9(60%), diabetes in 4(26.66%), and asthma in
2(13.34%) patients Out of 150 cases maximum number of interactions occurred with 5 drug therapy [88(47.06%)] and least with
2 drug therapy Out of 150 patients the most of the interactions were occurred in the 5 drugs therapy and least with 2 drug
therap. Hence it also proves that whenever the Polypharmacy is there, it also increases the chance of drug-drug interactions.