ArticleBMC pharmacology & toxicology2021
WHO/INRUD Core drug use indicators and commonly prescribed medicines: a National Survey from Sri Lanka.
Article in BMC pharmacology & toxicology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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10 citing papers in PubMed.
- How are young children treated? Multiprovincial patterns of prescribing for children under 5 in Sri Lanka.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- Assessment of dispensing practices and patient's knowledge of dispensed medicines in a hospital pharmacy, Ethiopia.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Prescription Audit in Outpatient Pharmacy of a Tertiary Care Referral Hospital in Haryana Using World Health Organization/International Network of Rational Use of Drugs (WHO/INRUD) Core Prescribing Indicators: A Step Towards Refining Drug Use and Patient Care.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Comparative assessment of rational use of drugs in public and private hospital pharmacies: a multicenter cross-sectional study using INRUD/WHO prescribing indicators.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2025Article
- WHO/INRUD prescribing indicators with a focus on antibiotics utilization patterns at outpatient department of Adigrat general hospital, Tigrai, Ethiopia: a retrospective cross-sectional study.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2024Article
- Antimicrobial Use Among Outpatients at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma Central Zone of Tanzania: A Prospective Descriptive Study.Infectious diseases & clinical microbiology · 2024Article
- Surveillance of antibiotics use in inpatients at Benjamin Mkapa Zonal Referral Hospital in Dodoma, Tanzania: a point prevalence survey.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Morbidity profile and pharmaceutical management of adult outpatients between primary and tertiary care levels in Sri Lanka: a dual-centre, comparative study.BMC primary care · 2024Article
- Evaluating drug use patterns among paediatric outpatients in Burundi.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2024Article
- Cost analysis and drug utilization pattern in diabetic patients attending outpatient at tertiary care teaching hospital in South Gujarat.Perspectives in clinical researchArticle
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6 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundIdentification of internationally comparable indicators of medicines use are important for a country to implement strategies and regulations to improve usage of medicines. Sri Lanka established a new National Medicines Regulatory Authority in 2015 and this survey evaluated the medication use indicators in Sri Lanka, according to the International Network on Rational Use of Drugs (INRUD), prior to its implementation.
methodsThis descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted in 80 pharmacies, representing all 25 districts of the country. Three pharmacy categories were included; privately owned pharmacies, 'Rajya Osusala' pharmacies operated by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) of Sri Lanka and SPC Franchisee pharmacy outlets. Selection of pharmacies from respective districts were done proportionate to estimated population. Data were collected to identify WHO/INRUD core drug use indicators and the commonly prescribed medicines.
resultsTotal of 2328 prescriptions were included ('Rajya Osusala 559; SPC Franchise 711; private pharmacies 1058). Altogether 7,255 medicines were prescribed, and the 3 most commonly prescribed medicines were atorvastatin, losartan and metformin. Average number of medicines per encounter was 3.1±1.9 (Median: 3; range 1-12) Highest average number of medicines per encounter was reported in prescriptions received at 'Rajya Osusala' pharmacies (3.6±2.2), significantly higher than in other categories of pharmacies (p<0.001). Percentage of medicines prescribed by generic name was only 35.5%, highest at the 'Rajya Osusala' pharmacies (40.6%), significantly higher than other categories of pharmacies. The overall percentage of medicines prescribed from essential medicine list (EML) was 68.8%, without any significant variation between different categories of pharmacies. The percentage of medicines actually dispensed and accurately labelled were 92.4 and 98.5% respectively.
conclusionsThe average number of medicines per encounter was higher than the WHO recommended value but the usage of antibiotic and injectable drugs were within recommended standards. Generic prescribing, was very much lower. The EML prescribing, labelling and percentage dispensed medicines fared much better although lower than the WHO recommended 100% compliance. This island wide study has provided national wide data before the implementation of key changes in regulation of medicines in Sri Lanka and a repeat survey will be useful to identify impact of the new legislations.
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