Drug Utilization Pattern and Pharmacoeconomics of Multivitamins Prescribed to Pediatric Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Vitamins and minerals are vital for normal physiological and metabolic functions of the body. These micronutrients are not synthesized within the body; hence, they are commonly prescribed as dietary supplements in medical practice. Children aged <5 years suffer due to malnutrition. They experience micronutrient deficiency and subsequent complications. The aim of this study was to understand drug use patterns and Pharmacoeconomics of multivitamin prescriptions in pediatric patients in a tertiary care hospital setting. Materials and Methods: This was a single-center, prospective, observational study conducted in patients admitted to the pediatric ward of a tertiary care hospital. Patients of either gender, aged <5 years, and who were receiving any vitamin supplements during their treatment were included in the study. Data for demographics, medical records, and medicines prescribed were recorded in a case report form and analyzed descriptively. Pharmacoeconomic aspects of multivitamin use were also studied. Descriptive data were reported as numbers, percentages, and means. Demographic variables were assessed using the Chi-square test, and a P value of 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 57 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The majority of the patients were male (64.9%), and the mean age was 9.3 months. Vitamin D was prescribed to 70.2% of patients. Other vitamins prescribed were vitamin B6, B7, B complex, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, and leucoverine. The cost of vitamins prescribed for patients accounted for 8.3% of the total cost of the prescribed medications (₹9904 out of ₹119636). Conclusions: We were able to understand the drug utilization patterns and Pharmacoeconomics of multivitamin prescriptions in pediatric patients in a tertiary care hospital setting. We found out that multivitamins were prescribed rationally, and the cost of multivitamins was less than 1/10th of the total cost of the prescribed medications.