Drug use indicators at a secondary health care facility in Lagos, Nigeria

Objective: Drug-use indicators were measured in a secondary health care facility in Lagos, Nigeria. Method: Retrospective prescribing data was used and patient records were selected using a systematic sampling method. Results:The average number of drugs per patient was 3.5=1= 1.4, 14% of patients received at least one injection and 55% of patients were prescribed at least one antibiotic. The injections were prescribed for a variety of indications where oral therapy could have been used. Antibiotics were prescribed largely for presumed infections. Conclusion: These indicators show that the level of drug use at the hospital is sub-optimal and need to be improved upon. Key Words: Drug-use; Indicators; Secondary health facilities; Lagos Journal of Community Medicine & Primary Health Care Vol.16(1) 2004: 21-24