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India | Health and Medical Sciences | Volume 15 Issue 1, January 2026 | Pages: 269 - 273
A Study on Prescription Audit of OPD Patients of a Tertiary Care Hospital of North India
Abstract: Background: Rational prescribing is an essential component of quality healthcare and patient safety. This study aimed to evaluate prescribing practices at SKIMS Hospital in Kashmir by analyzing outpatient prescriptions using World Health Organization (WHO) prescribing indicators. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to August 2025, involving 8415 outpatient prescriptions. Parameters such as prescription completeness, prescriber identifiers, generic prescribing, polypharmacy, legibility, and drug utilization patterns were assessed. Descriptive statistics were applied and results were compared against WHO standards. Results: Documentation of patient identifiers was excellent (99%), and completeness of prescriptions reached 98.7%. However, allergy documentation (15%), prescriber identifiers (60%), and legibility (85%) were suboptimal. Generic prescribing was very low (<2%), while polypharmacy was common (65%). Gastrointestinal drugs (35%) and antimicrobials (27%) were the most frequently prescribed categories. Conclusion: While prescriptions at SKIMS demonstrated high levels of completeness, significant challenges were identified in allergy recording, generic prescribing, and polypharmacy. Strengthening documentation practices, promoting rational antimicrobial use, and encouraging generic prescribing are essential. Regular prescription evaluations can help reduce errors, improve patient outcomes, and enhance cost-effectiveness.
Keywords: Prescribing patterns, rational drug use, WHO indicators, outpatient prescriptions, SKIMS Hospital
How to Cite?: Dr. Haroon Rashid, Dr. Romana Rashid, Dr. Shafqat Un Nisa, "A Study on Prescription Audit of OPD Patients of a Tertiary Care Hospital of North India", Volume 15 Issue 1, January 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 269-273, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=MR26101233312, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/MR26101233312