The Study of Drug Utilisation Evaluation of Benzodiazepine Derivatives and Antipsychotic Drugs Prescribed in Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) addressed drug utilization evaluation (DUE) as the marketing, distribution, prescription, and use of drugs in a society, considering its consequences, either medical, social, or economic. Drug utilization focuses on the prescribing, dispensing, administering, and taking of medication.

DUE has been brought into focus since the early 1960s on both sides of the Atlantic ( It includes the UK, the US, and regions of Western Europe ). It was primarily designed for market-only purposes, Presently drug utilization studies are a developing area and play an important role in the evaluation of present state and future trends in drug utilization, appropriateness of prescriptions, adherence to evidence-based recommendations, and minimal drug expenditures. It focuses on providing the best available treatment or rational drug therapy for better patient care.

DUE studies are used as a valuable research resource in the fields of pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacovigilance, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacogenetics, and other public health-related areas.[1,2]

Drug use varies constantly between nations and even between health facilities within a single nation therefore periodic studies must be conducted, In India, many factors like illiteracy, poverty, sale of prescription drugs without prescription, limited drug information, and inappropriate use of drugs are main reasons for not achieving the rational health care. Hence the DUE studies become one of the potential tools in the evaluation of the health care system.[3]