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PRESCRIBING PATTERNS IN EUROPEAN CLINICS
Author(s) -
Dayer P.,
Grossiord D.,
Casthélaz M.,
Schulz P.,
Amacker P.,
Venulet J.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.622
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1365-2710
pISSN - 0269-4727
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2710.1977.tb00091.x
Subject(s) - medicine , medical prescription , ampicillin , digoxin , drug , diabetes mellitus , pediatrics , cirrhosis , furosemide , antibiotics , heart failure , pharmacology , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , endocrinology
Summary This study records the diseases and drug treatment of patients hospitalized in the Department of Medicine of Geneva Cantonal Hospital during the period from October 1975 to May 1976. Of 2224 patients studied, 243 (11%) died during hospitalization. The average stay in hospital was 15 days. The average age was 61 years. The affections most frequently encountered were cardiac insufficiency and cardiac rhythm disorders (27% patients), bronchopneumonia (10%), diabetes (10%), hepatic cirrhosis (7%) and urinary tract infections (6%). The average number of prescriptions dispensed per patient was 7.2 (ranging from 0. to 43). Less than 5% patients did not receive any medicaments. The most common prescription was for dextrose infusion (35% patients). The most widely distributed drug was digoxin (32% patients), followed by nitrazepam (31%) and ampicillin (17%). Forty‐two per cent of patients received at least one drug from the anti‐infective class. The use of placebo was very limited (0.2% prescriptions). Drugs of doubtful utility formed only a slight proportion of the mass of prescriptions (4.8%). On the whole, the drugs were used in a satisfactory manner and the results of this study are similar to those given in the literature.