Drug utilization review on high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus in St. Vincent and the Grenadines - abstract

ABSTRACT

The Eastern Caribbean Drug Service (ECDS) conducted a Drug Utilization Review (DUR) of patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus in St. Vincent and the Grenadines between August, 1993 and August, 1994. The goal of this study was to assess prescribing practices and initiate appropriate education intervention aimed at enhancing prescribing behaviour. One thousand and sixty-two (1062) prescriptions were collected from both public and private sector pharmacies on a patient quota basis. Four (4) times as many patients were treated with antihypertensives (66 percent) as were treated with antidiabetics (15 percent), while 18 percent of subjects were treated with both. The most commonly used anti-hypertensive drug, bendrofluazide, was most often prescribed at the conventional 5 mg daily dose; however, almost one-third of prescriptions were for the recommended daily dose of 2.5 mg. Methyldopa and chlorpropamide were often used in higher than recommended doses. Few drug incompatibles were documented, as evidenced by the occasional concomitant use of two (2) sulphonylureas. Physicians in St. Vincent appeared to be very conservative in their drug choices and are moving towards currently recommended low doses. They also appear to be cost-conscious, for very few of the newer, higher-cost drugs were used, even in private practice. Significant cost savings could, however, be realised by educating patients in the multiple use of insulin syringes (AU)