Retrospective Study of COVID-19 Impact on Medication Use

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic shifted the medicine utilization landscape in hospitals globally.The purpose of this study was to assess changes in medication utilization throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. A retrospective, descriptive study on medication use was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital in Malaysia. The study covered two periods: from 1 January 2018, to 31 December 2019 (pre-pandemic phase), and from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021 (pandemic phase). The analysis included 266 medicines, and the results indicated that a majority of the medications (n=142, 53.4%) experienced a decline in purchasing trends during the pandemic period (2020-2021). Notably, parenteral medications such as muscle relaxant cisatracurium besylate 2 mg/ml injection (1583.3%), vasopressin 20IU/mL injection (796%), vitamin B and C injection (672.9%,) and oral antipsychotic olanzapine 5mg (534.4%) witnessed an exponential increase in purchases. Conversely, several classes of medicines exhibited a decline in purchasing trends ranging from -45.7% to -73.7%. Notable decreases were observed in peptic ulcer medication, diuretics, and nasal decongestants. This study provides valuable insights into medication utilization trends, offering guidance to healthcare supply chain stakeholders in optimizing logistics operations, ensuring medication availability, and making informed decisions to enhance patient care and resource allocation.