Ahmad Abdulrahman Almeman1*,
Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim2 and Seemab
Rasool3
1Pharmacy School-Uniazah,
Almulaida, Qassim University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
2College of Pharmacy, Qatar University,
Qatar, 3Prince Sultan Cardiac Center,
Buraidah ,Qassim , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
*For correspondence:
Email:
ahmadalmeman@gmail.com; Tel:
00966548889712; Fax: 0096663800662
Received: 4 April 2014
Revised accepted: 16
February 2014
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v13i4.21
Abstract
Purpose: To conduct a cost analysis,
a narrow cost-utility study, for upper respiratory tract
infection medications in University Sans Malaysia’s
clinics.
Methods: Retrospective analysis was
done for all medical claims of upper respiratory tract
infections in the period 2008 - 2009. The study was done
in the clinics under University Sains Malaysia. A total
of 302 patients suffering from upper respiratory tract
infection were enrolled. Cost analysis of the pattern of
antibiotic prescriptions for upper respiratory tract
infections was done. For cost analysis, costs were
calculated based on the acquisition cost from the
perspective of the medical center (USM) as the provider.
Results: The research results states
that there were 90% among the patients were prescribed
an antibiotic, 81 percent were prescribed an
antihistamine, 81 percent were prescribed an analgesic,
and 21 percent were prescribed a mucolytic or an
expectorant.
Conclusion: In comparison to the
previously revised researchers, the percentage of the
prescribed antibiotics is very high which is
unacceptable. A tremendous amount of expenditure and
other adverse events can be avoided by halting this
behavior. A local guideline for prescribing antibiotics
and implementing the same is the need of the hour.
Keywords: Prescribing patterns, Cost
analysis, Upper respiratory tract, Infections,
Antibiotics
