Study of Prescribing Patterns of Anti-Hypertensive Agents in Hypertensive Patients with Co-Morbid Conditions at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure. It can increase the risk of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases. An estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30 to 79 years worldwide have hypertension, most (two-thirds) living in low- and middle-income countries. Overall prevalence for hypertension in India was 29.8%. Prescribing pattern describe the nature, profile of drug usage, and compliance with regional, state, or national guidelines, such as uniform prescribing patterns, the use of drugs from the list of essential medicines, and the use of generic drugs. Appropriate prescription has a beneficial effect on adherence and disease prevention. The purpose of prescribing pattern analysis is to ensure rational use of drugs, prescribed with complete knowledge on safety and tolerability of regimen and controlling not only current ailment but also the comorbid conditions. The objective of this study is drug utilization evaluation (DUE) of antihypertensive agents in hypertensive patients with cardiovascular, nephrological and neurological comorbid conditions.