Every 2nd Medical Prescriptions In India Deviate From Standard Guidelines: Study
New Delhi:
One in every two medical prescriptions issued in India deviated from standard guidelines, with approximately a tenth showing “unacceptable deviations”, a study, conducted by a team of researchers including those at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, has found.
The team analysed 4,838 prescriptions issued by physicians between August 2019 and August 2020 for their compliance with standard treatment guidelines.
These prescriptions were issued at 13 Rational Use of Medicines Centres (RUMC), set up by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and located in tertiary care teaching hospitals and medical colleges across the country.
The researchers found that among the 475 prescriptions they deemed to show unacceptable deviations from the standard guidelines, pantoprazole was prescribed the most often — in 54 of them.
Pantoprazole is known to help bring down the acid created in stomach and is commonly available in pharmacies under many drug names, such as Pan 40.
In the 54 prescriptions, the condition being diagnosed was Herpes Zoster, or shingles — a viral infection causing painful rashes anywhere on the body.
Tablet pantoprazole 40 milligrams was prescribed along with others, including paracetamol, and ointments, according to the study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research.
Among these 475 prescriptions, th