A STUDY ON UTILIZATION PATTERN OF HIGHER GENERATION ANTIBIOTICS AMONG PATIENTS VISITING COMMUNITY PHARMACIES IN CHIDAMBARAM, TAMIL NADU AT SOUTH INDIA

Akram Ahmad, S. Parimalakrishnan, Guru Prasad Mohanta, Isha Patel and PK Manna

Infectious diseases are a prominent cause of death in developing countries. The antibiotic resistance caused by emergence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms, is a health problem leading to poor treatment outcomes and increased cost, increased mortality, morbidity and adverse drug reactions. The government of India proposed to introduce the New Drug Policy in 2011which calls for the making of a new schedule, Schedule HX, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. A cross-sectional and observational study was conducted in a private community pharmacy situated in Chidambaram, a city in rural South India to determine the appropriateness of the higher generation antibiotics (cephalosporin, flouroquinolone and coamoxiclav groups) in the out-patient department. The prescriptions were collected from the patients after they purchased the medicine from the pharmacy. All prescriptions containing higher generation antibiotics were assessed for the inappropriateness using a modified Medication Appropriateness Index. 300prescriptions containing higher generation antibiotics were analyzed. Out of the 77.66% of the prescriptions containing, 69.95% of prescriptions contained higher generation antibiotics. When assessed for the appropriateness of the prescription, 51%of the prescriptions containing higher generation antibiotics were prescribed inappropriately