The pattern of drug use among term neonates and cost implications: results from a study in a Sri Lankan neonatal care unit

Background Newborns in neonatal care units are exposed to a considerable number of medications. Although patterns of drug utilization in neonatal care units are changing rapidly, current data on drug utilization patterns in neonatal care units are limited, especially with regard to term neonates. Objectives The aim of the study was to describe the drug utilization pattern, its associated factors and total drug cost on term neonates admitted to the Neonatal Care Unit (NCU) at Teaching Hospital Kandy (THK). Methods and materials This study was a secondary analysis of data based on a follow-up study conducted among term neonates delivered at Teaching Hospital Kandy. A total of 175 neonates were studied over a period of 4 months, from February to May 2015. Results Benzylpenicillin was the most frequently used drug and on average 6.16 (+2.99) drugs were prescribed per neonate. Only length of stay and sex was associated with average drug use per neonate. Nearly seventy percent of total drug cost to treat term neonates was spent on 2 drugs; gentamicin and surfactant. All the other individual drugs account for a proportion of ten percent or less.