Vol 14, Issue 12, 2021 Online - 2455-3891 Print - 0974-2441 A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON MEDICATION USE PATTERN IN PATIENTS WITH RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AVEZ ALI 1 *, PAWAN KUMAR 2 , JAVED AKHTAR ANSARI 3 , MEENAZ FATIMA 4 , FIRDOUS IRRUM 4 1 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Singhania University, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, India. 2 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Medicine, Singhania University, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, India. 3 Department of Pharmacology, Mesco College of Pharmacy, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. 4 Department of Pharmacy Practice, Shadan College of Pharmacy, Hyderabad, India. Email: owais4peace@gmail.com Received: 05 October 2021, Revised and Accepted: 11 November 2021 ABSTRACT Objectives: The current study was undertaken to review and assess the medication usage pattern in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: A 12-month prospective observational study was carried out at Shadan Teaching and General Hospital, Peerancheru (Hyderabad), involving 384 CKD patients considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Medication evaluation for optimization was done using the World Health Organization (WHO) core prescribing indicators. Data collected were entered using Microsoft Excel. Descriptive statistics such as mean, percentage, and standard deviation (SD) were used to present sociodemographic characteristics of the study participants. Results: Out of the total of 384 patients, 249 (65%) were male and 135 (35%) were female with a mean age of 58.28 (SD: 13.12). A total of 384 prescriptions were scrutinized with a total of 3634 drugs, out of which drugs acting on the cardiovascular system were the most prescribed drugs (36.37%). The average number of drugs per prescription was found to be 9.08 considering the total number of prescriptions. The percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name was 15.57%. The percentage of encounters with antibiotics was 25%, whereas the percentage of encounters with injections was 86%. The percentage of drugs prescribed from the Essential Drug List or Formulary was found to be 26.36%. Conclusion: Assessment of medication usage patterns using the WHO core indicators in CKD patients helps to reinforce the current hospital guidelines for the optimal usage of medications. The introduction of a clinical pharmacist along with a multidisciplinary team provides intensive care to the patients and helps to improve the clinical outcome. Keywords: Chronic kidney disease, Medication usage pattern, Long-term treatment, Medication-related problems, World Health Organization prescribing indicators. INTRODUCTION The kidneys are organs that serve a number of essential regulatory roles. Most of us know that our kidneys function as filters, removing metabolic wastes and toxins from the blood and excreting them through the urine. But the kidneys also serve other essential functions. Through various regulatory mechanisms, the kidneys help maintain the body’s water balance, electrolyte balance, and acid-base balance. Additionally, the kidneys produce or activate hormones that are involved in erythrogenesis, calcium metabolism, and the regulation of blood pressure and blood flow [1]. Due to the rise in the prevalence and incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), there is a major threat among the general population. It remains a mainstay problem throughout the world. Nearly 11–13% of CKD cases remain prevalent globally. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual death rate of 850,000 contributed by this ailment [2]. Renal failure is a broad term mainly associated with the incompetency of kidneys to carry out their normal homeostatic and excretory function results in the accumulation of nitrogenous waste products in the body. It could be acute or chronic. CKD is characterized by the progressive morphological and physiological detrimental changes in the kidneys persistent for more than 3 months which is usually irreversible. Serum creatinine levels remain elevated for more than 3 months and estimated glomerular filtration rate is estimated to be <60 ml/min/m 2 [3]. Medication usage pattern in CKD patient varies from patient to patient depending on the condition and duration of the chronicity. Hence, it is essential to analyze the medication usage pattern among CKD patients from time to time as they need to acquire the medications throughout their life. In India, CKD remains a major threat to the health-care system as well as the patient’s well-being. Conducting the drug utilization survey for chronic diseases helps to promote rational use of drugs [2]. In 2017, the total mortality rate because of CKD and cardiovascular disease attributed to impaired kidney function was estimated to be 4.6%. The overall mortality rate raised by 41.5% from 1990 to 2017. Researchers also reported that diabetic kidney disease remains the apparent cause of CKD [4]. Since very limited studies are available in India on the prescribing trends among CKD patients, this study was carried out with the main focus on the medication usage pattern in the management of CKD patients and also to assess the prescription following the rational use. METHODS Study site The study was conducted at Shadan Institute of Medical Sciences, Peerancheru, Hyderabad. Study design • Prospective observational study • Review and collection of cases. Study duration The study was carried out for 12 months. © 2021 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2021v14i12.43513. Journal homepage: https://innovareacademics.in/journals/index.php/ajpcr Research Article