Drug Utilization Pattern of COPD in KANKAI Municipal Hospital, KANKAIN Municipality, JHAPA

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a major cause of severe illness and death globally, especially in resource-poor settings. Drug utilization pattern provides knowledge about how drugs are used which is important to improve the results of therapy and guarantee appropriate use of drugs. This study assessed the drug utilization pattern of COPD in KANKAI Municipal Hospital, KANKAI Municipality in JHAPA district. It used a hospital facility based descriptive cross-sectional study. The study area was KANKAI Municipal Hospital, KANKAI Municipality, JHAPA District of Koshi Province, Nepal. It was conducted among the COPD patients visiting the outpatient department of KANKAI Municipal Hospital.This study used existing data to determine the utilization pattern of COPD drugs. A patient profile form was used to collect the data on drug utilization pattern. Validity and reliability were maintained by consulting the research supervisor, concerned authority and colleagues. Out of the 151 prescriptions analyzed, females (53.6%) were slightly higher than males (46.4%) with mean age of 71.04±12.26 years. Out of (80.1%) with comorbidities, the most common one was hypertension (24%). Inhalational route (69.8%) was the common route of administration of drugs in most of the cases followed by the oral route (30.2%). The most frequently prescribed class of drugs were bronchodilator (91.4%) followed by inhaled corticosteroids (84.1%). Antibiotics were prescribed in (22.5%) of the cases. (85.4%) of the patients were prescribed combination therapy. The drug utilization pattern for COPD in the hospital setting reveals significant insights into the management practices and therapeutic strategies employed. Our study highlighted the predominant use of bronchodilators, including both short-acting and long-acting agents, as the cornerstone of COPD treatment, reflecting adherence to established clinical guidelines.