Assessment of Essential Drug List in Lahore Retail Pharmacies

Abstract

The World Health Organization made an essential drug list for pharmacies which help in promoting the patient health by satisfying the needs of majority of population, and these medicines are available at affordable prices for patients. For the assessment of essential dug list in different areas of Lahore retail pharmacies. To check that these pharmacies follow essential drug list or not and other factors regarding essential drug list. The study was done by taking 60 pharmacies and it is survey based simple sampling in nature using both qualitative and quantitative data from retail pharmacies. After collecting data, data entry is done by using SPSS software. Data is analyzed, report is prepared based on data results from SPSS .Then discussion which include suggestions, improvements, recommendations, limitations and conclusion includes comparison. The study was based on the assessment of essential drugs prescribing indicators, patient affordability, and availability of essential drug list in pharmacies as stipulated by World Health Organization. A total of 60 retail Lahore pharmacies were sampled. The study established that a high percentage of Lahore retail pharmacies having essential drug list and most of the pharmacies follow both list which WHO EDL and NEDL. Mostly prescriptions received contain essential drugs on daily bases because most of the drugs prescribed from the essential drug list. The study also established that most of the essential drugs were properly stored and adequately labeled. In general, the prescribing and dispensing practices of essential drugs in the pharmacies are fairly good and are not far from the standard WHO requirements. The study showed that the pharmacies were doing well on essential drug list. It also assess that number of essential drugs prescribed, most commonly essential drugs in received prescription, essential drugs prescribed by generic names; drugs actually dispensed; correct patient knowledge of dosage, pharmacist and pharmacy technician awareness about essential drugs availability of essential drugs stock; drugs prescribed on EDL and availability of prescribers, drugs available at affordable prices, adequately essential drugs stored, dispensed and properly labeled.

Keywords: Essential Drug List, Lahore Retail Pharmacy, Prescribing indicators, Patient affordability, Availability of Essential Drugs