Abstract
Background: Drug utilization pattern in geriatric population is an area of research where very few studies are done and this study was undertaken to evaluate the drug utilization pattern among geriatric inpatients of medicine wards at a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Aims and Objectives: This study aims to study the drug utilization pattern in geriatric inpatients of medicine wards at a government tertiary care hospital.

Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study including 300 geriatric inpatients admitted to medicine wards was conducted from October to December 2017. Relevant details were collected from case files of the patients and entered into a predesigned pro forma and data were analyzed.

Results: Majority of the patients were between the ages of 60 and 69 years (60.7%). There was male preponderance (57.3%). Respiratory disorders were the most common (35.3%) followed by central nervous system and CVS disorders (21.7% each). A total of 1720 drug formulations were prescribed, of which 171 (9.94%) were fixed-dose combinations. 70.32% and 73.07% of the drugs were included under the World Health Organizations essential medicines list and the national list of essential medicines, respectively. Antimicrobials were the most commonly prescribed drugs (19.4%) followed by drugs acting on gastrointestinal system (17.6%),drugs acting on cardiovascular system (12.6%), vitamins, minerals, and supplements (9.4%), drugs acting on hematological system (8.5%), and drugs acting on respiratory system (7.6%). Ranitidine was the most frequently prescribed drug followed by ceftriaxone and paracetamol. Average number of drugs prescribed per encounter was 6.7. Percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name was 43.5%.

Conclusion: Drug utilization data can help in assessing the quality of care given to patients; promote rational use of medicines by helping to improve prescribing patterns.

Key words: Drug Utilization Pattern; Geriatric Patients; World Health Organization Prescribing Indicators; Essential Medicines List