Pattern and appropriateness of antihypertensive prescriptions among hospitalized hypertensives in Nigeria

Introduction: Prescribers' compliance to relevant guidelines may be a reflection of the depth of thoroughness in therapy, awareness, and a pointer to pitfalls in reducing cardiovascular mortality. This study was aimed to study the pattern and appropriateness of antihypertensive prescriptions among hospitalized patients with hypertensive disorders in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study. All medical admissions over a 1-year from January 1 to December 31, 2013, were reviewed from three teaching hospitals across Nigeria. Two hundred and eighty-eight hospitalized hypertensive patients were identified with complete records. The pattern of drugs prescription and their compliance with the Joint National Commission VII criteria was determined. Results: The mean age was 57.6 ± 15.7 years. Associated comorbid conditions include heart failure, transient ischemic attack, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Commonly prescribed drugs include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I), diuretics, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and angiotensin receptor blockers. The proportions of participants using these drugs were 57.3%, 34.0%, 26.4%, and 12.5%, respectively. Fifty-one (20.73%) were on a single medication, 108 (43.9%) were on two medication classes while 87 (35.37%) were on drugs from at least three classes of antihypertensive pharmacotherapy. Combination therapy is frequent among hospitalized hypertensive patients in this study. The common pattern of two-drug combination among study participants included ACE-I and diuretics. The most common three-drug combinations included ACE-I, CCBs, and diuretics. Conclusion: Majority of study participants were on combination therapy and had multiple comorbid cardiovascular risk factors, target organ damage, and complications. Antihypertensive prescriptions across three tertiary centers in Nigeria appear to follow relevant clinical guidelines with minimal differences across the centers.