Analysis of drug prescriptions in primary health care centres in Bahrain

The aim of this study was to analyse drug prescribing practices in primary health care centres in Bahrain. We retrospectively evaluated 600 prescriptions selected randomly from all primary health care centres in Bahrain (n = 20) in 2004. Analysis followed WHO recommended prescribing core indicators. The mean number of drugs prescribed at each encounter was 3.3 (SD 0.7). A single drug was prescribed on 6.3% of prescriptions and drugs were prescribed by generic name on 10.2%. The percentage of total prescriptions for antibiotics was 45.8%, for injections was 9.3% and for vitamins was 12.5%. The prescribing pattern in primary health care centres in Bahrain is associated with polypharmacy, over-prescribing of antibiotics and an under-prescribing of drugs by generic names.