A Drug Utilization Study of Antibiotics in Patients Admitted to Wards and Intensive Care Unit of Medicine Department at Tertiary Health Care Centre of Dhiraj Hospital Vadodara

A BSTRACT Introduction: Drug utilization studies are required to understand current prescription patterns and promote the rational use of medications in hospitals. They provide useful information to achieve desired therapeutic goals, fulfil antimicrobial stewardship objectives, and improve therapeutic outcomes. Materials and Methods: Aprospective observational study was conducted over a period of 19 months in the medicine wards and intensive care unit (ICU) of the Department of General Medicine at a tertiary healthcare center. A total of 600 patients were enrolled. Data on prescribing patterns, antibiotic resistance, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were obtained from the patients’ medical records. They were assessed using World Health Organization (WHO) core indicators to ensure uniformity in evaluation. Results: Cefoperazone–sulbactam Fixed-dose Combination was the most prescribed antibiotic, followed by ceftriaxone. Escherichia coli showed moderate sensitivity to β-lactam antibiotics and aminoglycosides, whereas Acinetobacter species demonstrated high susceptibility to tigecycline, minocycline, and cefoperazone–sulbactam. The average number of antibiotics prescribed per patient was 2.41. The mean antibiotic cost per admitted patient was ₹13,543.64 ± 38,476.04. Several antibiotics demonstrated a PDD/DDD ratio >1, indicating prescribed daily doses higher than the WHO-assigned Defined daily doses. A total of 54 ADRs were documented, largely in patients aged between 61 and 80 years. Conclusion: Clinical pharmacists and physicians should play an active role in promoting appropriate antibiotic use through continuous education, stewardship activities, and regular analysis of institutional prescribing patterns. Drug utilization review programs are crucial for ensuring rational antimicrobial use and decreasing resistance within healthcare settings.