Drug utilization study in schizophrenia patients in outpatient department of psychiatry: an observational prospective study

Background: A mental disorder or psychiatry disorder is a behavioural or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Schizophrenia is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. Aim of the study is to study drug utilization pattern in schizophrenia patients in outpatient department of psychiatry.Methods: A prospective and observational study was conducted in psychiatry outpatient department between May 2018 to October 2018 at Government Medical College and Hospital Aurangabad. Approval from ethics committee was taken. Data collected was of age, sex, final diagnosis, drugs prescribed to patients from case report form. The data obtained was then analyzed in Microsoft excel.Results: Total prescriptions of 129 patients were analyzed. Out of 129 patients 99 (76.74%) were male, while 30 (23.26%) were female. The mean age of the patients admitted in Psychiatry OPD was 36.71±11.76 years. Number of drugs prescribed per patient being 3.40±1.12 (mean±SD). The most common drugs used were olanzapine (66.6%), trihexyphenidyl (51.9%), lorazepam (44.9%), risperidone (39.5%), trifluoperazine (27.9%).Conclusions: Our study shows that atypical antipsychotics were the most common drugs prescribed in patients. Olanzapine was the most common medication used followed by risperidone. Our prospective study is carried out to get a more comprehensive data so that we can improve the drug utilization in our hospital.