Drug Utilization Pattern in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Descriptive Study in Tertiary Care Settings in Pakistan

The correct use of cardiovascular drugs in patients has been shown to decrease the risk associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the drug utilization pattern in cardiovascular diseases. For this purpose we conducted this study in various tertiary care setups located in various areas of Karachi, from January to March, 2014. We collected the data from 100 patients having different age groups. The collected data was assessed to determine the prescribing trends. Results indicated that hypertension and ischemic heart diseases were mostly diagnosed and mostly diseases were treated by giving the drugs in combinations. The use of Beta Blockers, Diuretics, Calcium Channel Blockers and Angiotensin Converting Enzymes (ACE) inhibitors was very common. Also prescribing errors related to dosing frequency and prescribed dose were also determined. Results were analyzed with SPSS 20 using Chi square model to calculate the study outcome. Furthermore standard error and statistical variance for the given data is also calculated by descriptive analytical procedure. Present study will help the health practitioners to optimize the appropriate use of cardiovascular drugs.