Evaluation of the drug prescription status based on the WHO indices in pharmacies of health care centers affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Background: As a major responsibility, health authorities must control rational prescription of drugs (RUD). A way to analyze the regional status of drug prescription is the WHO’s recommended indices. The purpose of the study was to determine the status of drug prescriptions in pharmacies of healthcare centers under the authority of Tehran University of Medical Sciences based on the WHO indices. Methods: In this study, 28 pharmacies of health care centers under the supervision of Tehran University of Medical Sciences were selected and 3420 drug prescriptions were examined. Results: the study revealed that the average number of drug per prescription was 3.03 (SD=0.72). 56.49% of prescriptions contained at least one antibiotic. Moreover, at least one injectable drug was prescribed in 28.96% of prescriptions. Conclusion: Health authorities must play pivotal role in improving rational use of drugs. General practitioners are the major chain in RUD cycle. Results showed that we need to design some educational programs such as holding workshops on the RUD for physicians, public education and also producing related printed materials and advertising in the Media. These programs may improve the status based on the WHO indices which for example refers to the percentage of prescription of antibiotics & injections in the region.