Background: Migraine is a debilitating neurological disorder. As a leading cause of disability worldwide, it affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL). There are limited studies assessing the prescription pattern and improvement in HRQoL post-treatment.
Aims and Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the drug use pattern and compare the effects of medications on HRQoL as per Migraine Disability Assessment Score (MIDAS).
Materials and Methods: A prospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted on migraine patients attending neurology OPD at a tertiary care hospital. One hundred and seven patients were recruited by periodic sampling over 6 months. Prescription indicators assessed were number of antimigraine drugs per prescription, frequency of prescribed drugs, prescriptions by generic name, etc. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The HRQoL was assessed after 3 months of medications by telephonic questionnaire. The change was analyzed by Wilcoxon matched pair signed-rank test.
Results: Majority patients were in the third (40.2%) and fourth decade (32.7%) with a female preponderance (72.9%). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were commonly prescribed for aborting acute attacks with naproxen (24.1%) followed by diclofenac (2.71%). Prophylactically topiramate (27.51%), amitriptyline (18.6%), and propranolol (3.1%) were prescribed. About 36.43% of drugs were prescribed by generic names. Improvement in HRQoL was reflected by a significantly reduced MIDAS (13.95 ± 5.20 to 11.39 ± 5.07 [P < 0.05]).
Conclusion: In our study, there was low generic prescribing. Naproxen was most prescribed for acute migraine and topiramate for prophylaxis. The HRQoL significantly improved after 3 months of antimigraine medications causing lesser disease burden.
Key words: Headache; MIDAS; Prescription; HRQoL; Prophylaxis; Generic
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