Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a major health problem all over the world. It is not a disease in itself, but it is an important risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.

Objective: To evaluate the prescribing pattern of antihypertensive drugs in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Lucknow region.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Outpatient Department in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Lucknow to access the prescription pattern of antihypertensive drugs during October 2015 to July 2016.

Results: In the present study, 65.2% patients received monotherapy while 34.8% received combination therapy. In monotherapy, calcium channel blockers (CCBs) were most commonly prescribed, while angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) + diuretics were the most commonly prescribed combination therapy.

Conclusion: In the present study, it was found that CCBs were the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drug, followed by ARBs in monotherapy. Combination therapy was given according to associated risk factors and comorbid conditions.

Key words: Prescribing Pattern; Monotherapy; Calcium Channel Blockers; Angiotensin Receptor Blockers; Angiotensin-converting Enzyme Inhibitors