Initial Antihypertensive Therapy: Prescription Pattern at the Outpatient Cardiology Clinic of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu

Aim: To study the prescription pattern of different cadres of doctors, with the possible influencing factors, at the initial visit of hypertensive patients to the outpatient cardiology clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Nigeria. Method: A five-year retrospective study (from September 1989 to August 1994) of all the antihypertensive prescriptions at the patients' initial visits, using their case notes, was carried out. Results: Out of the 421 patients selected for the study, 233 (55%) were males and 188 (45%) females, giving a malerfemale ratio of 1.2:1. Two hundred and thirteen (51%) of the patients had severe hypertension and 27 (6.5%) were mildly hypertensive. Monotherapy was observed in 156 (41%) of the patients and Polytherapy in 59%. Regroton was the most commonly prescribed drug (20%), and Minizide, the least prescribed (0.7%). The 51-60 year age group had the highest incidence of both mono and polytherapies respectively, and the >80 years age group the least. Though there was statistical difference with regards to age of patients (P = 0.005), there was none in prescription patterns of mono or polytherapies (P = 0.075), or status of the prescribing doctor (P > 0.22). Conclusion: Findings highly suggest that the prescription pattern for antihypertensive drugs reflected the grade (severity) of hypertension in the presenting patients, the experience of the prescriber, and the knowledge of the available drugs at the time of prescription, in this teaching hospital.