Drug utilization study of anti-hypertensive drugs and their adverse effects in patients of a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. Though many clinical guidelines published recently for the treatment of hypertension, there is substantial variation in the treatment of hypertension in different countries. Aims and objectives: To evaluate the drug utilization pattern among hypertensive patients and their adverse effects attending medicine OPD in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted by Department of Pharmacology in a tertiary care teaching hospital over a period of six months. The diagnosis and line of treatment to be given was decided by the physician in charge of the Department of Medicine. All the information of ADR was recorded in CDSCO Suspected ADR reporting form. Results: Out of 600 patients, 43.83% were male and 56.17% were female. Maximum patients belonged to age group of 51-60 years (33.5%). Diabetes mellitus (40.33%) was the most common associated disease with hypertension. About half of the patients had received two antihypertensive drugs (49.50%), followed by one (33.16%) and three (15.5%) antihypertensive drugs. Enalapril was the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drug (79.66%). 95 patients (15.83%) from the total of 600 patients developed ADR. Most common ADR was cough (18.94%) followed by headache (12.63%) and vomiting (10.52%). Enalapril was responsible for about half of the ADR (50.52%) followed by amlodipine (25.26%) and furosemide (25.26%). Conclusion: Rational utilization pattern of antihypertensive drugs was observed. However diuretics and calcium channel blockers prescribed less commonly. Most of the ADRs were probable (55.79%) and mild (30.53%).