Observational studyBMJ paediatrics open2024
Rational prescribing and dispensing of oral dosage forms of medicines to children: an observational study.
Observational study in BMJ paediatrics open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionIrrational prescribing and dispensing of oral dosage forms of medicines to paediatric patients are major public health issues, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. Many challenges affect the rational use of oral dosage forms of medicines in children; these include a lack of dosage forms appropriate for the age and a lack of dose flexibility in dosage forms.
objectivesTo assess the rational prescribing and dispensing practices of oral dosage forms to children at dispensaries of the University of Gondar Comprehensive and Specialised Hospital (UoGCSH).
methodA retrospective design for prescribing indicators and a cross-sectional study design to assess rational dispensing were used at the outpatient dispensary units of UoGCSH. A total of 931 oral dosage forms to assess prescribing indicators and 400 for dispensing indicators were used. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS V.26.0, IBM Corporation). Descriptive statistics were used to analyse indicators, and the χ
resultOut of a total of 931 oral dosage forms for 700 prescriptions, 56.3% were solid oral dosage forms. An average number of oral dosage forms per child was 1.33±0.62. Only 150 (16.13%) (95% CI: 14% to 18.4%) were adequate for the weight of the child. The percentage of oral dosage forms not suitable for the age was 7.1% (66), (95% CI: 5.6% to 8.8%), and about 0.8% (95% CI: 0% to 1.8%) were adequately labelled. Drugs that needed manipulation before administering a single unit were 81 (39.7%), 95% CI: 33.7% to 47.1%.
conclusionThe proportion of the prescribed medications that were adequate for the weight of the child was low, although the majority of prescriptions' weights were not recorded. Oral dosage forms not suitable for children were prescribed. The proportion of medications that needed manipulation before being administered as a single unit was high.
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