Prescribing patterns of antimicrobials in the Internal Medicine Department of Ibrahim Malik Teaching Hospital in Khartoum, 2016

INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobials are among the most commonly prescribed therapeutic agents in hospitals. Irrational use of antimicrobials results in the development of antimicrobial resistance which could lead to life-threatening illnesses. Therefore, the assessment of antimicrobial prescribing and use is of utmost importance. This study aimed to examine the prescribing patterns of antimicrobials in the Internal Medicine Department of Ibrahim Malik Teaching Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using World Health Organization (WHO) indicators for antimicrobial use in hospitals. Systematic random sampling was used to select 245 medical records from the 2613 medical records of patients admitted to the internal medicine department in 2016. Data were collected using a data collection form and a structured interview with the chief pharmacist in the hospital. RESULTS: Of the 245 medical records examined, 201 (82%) patients were prescribed one or more antimicrobial drug. The average number of antimicrobials per patient was (2.1±1.1). The average duration of antimicrobial treatment was (4.9±3.8) days. The generic name was used in (35.6%) of antimicrobials, while (95.5%) of all antimicrobials were prescribed from the national essential medicines list. Overall, there were 421 courses of antimicrobials prescribed. The most frequently prescribed antimicrobials were ceftriaxone (131 courses) and metronidazole (89 courses). Among the documented infectious diseases, the most frequently encountered was pneumonia, followed by malaria. There was no drug and therapeutic committee, hospital formulary or essential medicines list, and standard treatment guidelines for infectious diseases in the hospital. CONCLUSION: The results of the study revealed a high percentage of antimicrobial use in the Internal Medicine Department. Multifaceted interventions are urgently needed to promote rational prescribing of antimicrobials.