Analysis of prescription pattern in patients on maintenance hemodialysis

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a world-wide public health problem associated with\nvarious complications. CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis have associated comorbidities and\nprescribing drugs rationally in these patients is a difficult task.\nObjective: To evaluate the prescribing patterns of medicines in CKD patients on maintenance\nhemodialysis.\nMethodology: A Cross-sectional, hospital-based observational study was conducted in King Khalid\nGeneral Hospital, Al Majmaah for a period of one year. The records of patients in the given period were\nexamined and data pertaining to prescriptions was analyzed.\nResults: A total of 41 prescriptions of patients were analyzed. The most common associated co-morbidity\nwas hypertension in 82.9% of the patients, followed by anemia in 73.1% of patients and secondary\nhyperparathyroidism in 63.4% of the patients. 85.4% of the patients had more than one comorbidity. The\ntotal number of drugs prescribed was 504 and the average number of prescriptions per patient was 12.3.\nThe percentage of drugs prescribed using generic name was 71.4 and 65.3% drugs prescribed were from\nthe WHO essential drugs list. Total number of Fixed dose combinations used was only 1.2%.\nConclusion: The study has generated a profile of drugs prescribed in CKD patients on maintenance\nhemodialysis in a secondary care hospital in Saudi Arabia. High number of medications were used per\nprescription in this study thus increasing the possibility of drug interactions and Adverse events. Further\nstudies with special consideration for drug-drug interactions, adverse events and adherence need to be\nconducted.\n\nKeywords: Analysis, Chronic kidney disease, Drug prescription, Hemodialysis.