Volume : 13, Issue : 09, September – 2026
Title:
PRESCRIPTION PATTERN OF DRUGS USED IN INPATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AT A SECONDARY CARE HOSPITAL IN DHARMAPURI DISTRICT: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY
Authors :
Mohamed Adnan P K, Nithyanantham P, Pavithra S, Prabhu K, Pradeep M, Prasanth S
Abstract :
Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. Periodic evaluation of prescribing patterns is essential to optimize rational drug use, minimize adverse drug reactions, and reduce the financial burden on patients. Objective: To analyze clinical demographics, disease prevalence, comorbidities, and prescription patterns of cardiovascular drugs among inpatients in a secondary care hospital in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. Methodology: A retrospective observational study was conducted over a six-month period (January 2026 to June 2026) in the inpatient department of cardiology. Case sheets of 102 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS. Results: Out of 102 patients, 71.6% were male and 28.4% were female. The most prevalent age group was 40–49 years (45.1%). Diabetes mellitus (30.4%) was the most common comorbidity, followed by renal disorders (18.6%) and hypertension/COPD (17.6% each). The most common primary cardiac diagnosis was hypertension (18.6%), followed closely by coronary artery disease (16.6%) and ischemic heart disease (13.72%). Calcium channel blockers (88.24%), diuretics (86.27%), and anti-anginal drugs (79.41%) were the highly prescribed drug classes. Amlodipine (80.30%) and Furosemide (51.90%) were the most frequently utilized individual medications. Conclusion: The prescribing patterns in the hospital largely aligned with current therapeutic guidelines. However, a noticeable underutilization of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in diabetic and hypertensive patients represents an area for potential optimization.
Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases, Drug utilization evaluation (DUE), Rational drug use, Comorbidities, Secondary care hospital.
Cite This Article:
Please cite this article in press Mohammed Adnan P K et al., Prescription Pattern Of Drugs Used In Inpatients With Cardiovascular Diseases At A Secondary Care Hospital In Dharmapuri District: A Retrospective Study.,. Indo Am. J. P. Sci, 2026; 13(10).
REFERENCES:
1. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Available at: http://www.bbs.gov.bd/. Accessed January, 2009.
2. Bloomfield P, Bradbury A, Grubb NR, Newby DE. Cardiovascular disease. In: Boon NA, Colledge NR, Walker BR, Hunter JAA (eds). Davidson Principles and Practice of Medicine, 20th ed. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, 2006, pp. 519-644.
3. Comeau DG, Sketris L, Kephart G, et al. The change in composition and cost of antihypertensive drug treatment between 1985 and 1995 in the Halifax county MONICA area. Circulation. 1998; 97(8):826.
4. Epstein M, Sowers JR. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Hypertension. 1992; 19: 403-418.
5. Esposti LD, Di Marrino M, Saragoni S, et al. Pharmacoeconomics of antihypertensive drug treatment: an analysis of how long patients remain on various antihypertensive therapies. J. Clin Hypertens. 2004; 6: 76-82.
6. European Society of Hypertension – European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension, Guidelines Committee. J Hypertens. 2003; 21:1011-1053.
7. Heaton PMJ, Claxton RJ Jr. Beta-blocker underused in secondary prevention of myocardial infarction. Ann Pharmacother. 2004; 38: 286-293.
8. Kabiruzzaman et al. Burden of heart failure patients in a tertiary level cardiac hospital. Journal of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons. 2010; 28:24-29.
9. Psaty BM, Savage PJ, Tell GS, Polak JF, Hirsch CH, Gardin JM, McDonald RH. Temporal patterns of antihypertensive medication use among elderly patients. JAMA. 1993; 270(15): 1837-41.
10. Science Daily. Depression and anxiety can double chances of heart ailments. January 19, 2008.
11. Shaila A, Sonia S, Masuda M, Nargis P, Niru S, Samia S, Rishad M, Masuma A, Abu MS. Geriatric health problems in a rural community of Bangladesh. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2007; 1(2): 17-20.
12. World Health Organization. Cardiovascular diseases. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/index.html. Accessed February, 2009.
13. Bridget BK, Fuster V. Promoting Cardiovascular Health in the Developing World: A Critical Challenge to Achieve Global Health. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press. ISBN 0-309-14774-3.
14. Howard BV, Wylie-Rosett J. Sugar and cardiovascular disease: A statement for healthcare professionals from the Committee on Nutrition of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2002; 106: 523–7. PMID 12135957.
15. Finks SW, Airee A, Chow SL, et al. Key articles of dietary interventions that influence cardiovascular mortality. Pharmacotherapy. 2012; 32: 54–87. PMID 22392596.
16. Micha R, Michas G, Mozaffarian D. Unprocessed red and processed meats and risk of coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes—an updated review of the evidence. Current Atherosclerosis Reports. 2012; 14:515–24. PMID 23001745.
17. Shanthi M, Pekka P, Norrving B. Global Atlas on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control. World Health Organization in collaboration with the World Heart Federation and the World Stroke Organization. ISBN 978-92-4156437-3.
18. Yusuf S, Hawken S, Ounpuu S, et al. Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study): case-control study. Lancet. 2004; 364: 937–52. PMID 15364185.
19. World Heart Federation. Cardiovascular disease risk factors. WHF, Geneva, 2011.
20. Shanthi M, Pekkab P, Norrving B. Global Atlas on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control (PDF). World Health Organization in collaboration with the World Heart Federation and the World Stroke Organization. pp. 3-18.
21. GBD 2013 Mortality and Causes of Death, Collaborators. Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet. 385:117–171.
22. Fuster V, Valentin V, Kelly BB. Promoting Cardiovascular Health in the Developing World: A Critical Challenge to Achieve Global Health. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press, 2010. Chapter 2. ISBN 978-0-30914774-3.
23. Michael FC, Hammar N, Wettermark B, Leimanis AO, Bergman U. The new Swedish Prescribed Drug Register: opportunities for pharmacoepidemiological research and experience from the first six months. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. 2007; 16:726-735.
24. Cohen MR, Furberg CD, Moore TJ. Serious adverse drug events reported to the Food and Drug Administration, 1998-2005. Arch Intern Med. 2007; 167:1752-1759.
25. Forbes MB, Baum C, Jones JK, Kennedy DL. Drug use and expenditures in 1982. JAMA. 1985; 253:382-386.
26. Molstad S, Melander A, Cars O. Variations in antibiotic use in the European Union. Lancet. 2001; 357:1851-1853.
27. Gram LF, Hallas J, Rosholm JU, Bergman U, Isacsson G. Changes in the pattern of antidepressant use upon the introduction of the new antidepressants: a prescription database study. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1997; 52: 205-209.
28. Strom BL. Pharmacoepidemiology. 4th edition. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2005.
29. Rosner B, Kass EH, Shapiro M, Townsend TR. Use of antimicrobial drugs in general hospital: II. Analysis of patterns of use. J Infect Dis. 1979; 139:698-706.
30. Bjerrum L, Andersen M, Bergman U, Montanaro N, Vaccheri A, Wettermark B. Deviations from evidence-based prescribing of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in three European regions. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2000; 56:269-272.
31. Chrysohoou C, Panagiotakos DB. Gender differences on the risk evaluation of acute coronary syndromes: the CARDIO2000 study. Preventive Cardiology. 2003; 6:71-7.
32. Patil SB, Raikar SR. Prescription pattern of cardiovascular drugs in intensive cardiac care unit patients in a tertiary care hospital. International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology. 2015; 4:1100-3.
33. Zafar F, Ali H. Drug utilization pattern in cardiovascular diseases: a descriptive study in tertiary care settings in Pakistan. Journal of Bioequivalence & Bioavailability. 2015; 7:595.
34. George J, Devi P. Patterns and determinants of cardiovascular drug utilization in coronary care unit patients of a tertiary care hospital. Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research. 2013; 4:214-1.
35. Raut A, Vohra F. A study of prescribing pattern, comorbidities, and cost analysis in elderly hospitalized patients in Pune. CHRISMED Journal of Health and Research. 2016; 3:191-5.
36. Tasneem S, Fouzia N. Drug utilization study in ischemic heart diseases associated with diabetes and hypertension. Int J Pharm Bio Sci. 2010; 1:1-4.
37. Kumar M, Dahiya V. Cardiovascular disease prevalence and drug utilization patterns at a tertiary care hospital in North-eastern India. Hypertension. 2016; 8:116-9.
38. Jyothi CH, Vidhya HK. Drug Utilization Study in Intensive Cardiac Care Unit of a Tertiary Care Hospital. Drug. 2015; 3:824-0.
39. Aswani B, Purushothama R. A Study on Prescribing Pattern of Cardiovascular Drugs & Potential Drug-Drug Interactions in an Inpatient Cardiology Unit of a Cardiac-Care Hospital at Tirupati. Drug. 2016; 3:294-5.