Opadeyi AO, PhD, FWACP, Ayinbuomwan SA FMCP ,
|
Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Benin, Benin city, Nigeria |
ABSTRACT
Background: The WHO analgesic ladder provides guidance to healthcare providers in the prescription of appropriate analgesics to alleviate pain. However, access, safety, and tolerability considerations of these agents may influence their prescriptions. This study sought to determine the prescription pattern of analgesics and co-analgesics in a general practice clinic.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of dispensed analgesics and co-analgesics in the general practice clinic of a tertiary hospital was undertaken, from February 2021 to January 2022. The type of analgesic prescribed, formulation, number of analgesics per prescription, co-analgesics, and presence of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) per prescription was evaluated. Prescriptions were selected by a systematic sampling method and evaluated using the WHO analgesic ladder. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted.
Results: A total of the 2229 analgesic products were prescribed in1188 patient encounters. Majority of the patients 941(79.2%) obtained more than one analgesic and co-analgesic. Furthermore, most were categorized as being on Step I WHO analgesic ladder 1161(97.8%)., Paracetamol was the most prescribed non-opioid, 612(27.5%), then Celecoxib 493(22.2%) for NSAIDs, paracetamol with codeine, 26(1.2%) was most prescribed opioid, while tizanidine was the most prescribed co-analgesic227(10.2%). PPIs were co-prescribed in 22.5% of the 583 patients on NSAIDS.
Conclusion: Non-opioids remain the most frequently prescribed medications for pain in general practice. Also a large number of co-analgesics was also noticed. The paucity of opioid prescriptions in this study underpins the urgent need to address the concerns and inertia of prescribers with opioid agents. Furthermore, prescribers should be educated on the importance of utilizing the WHO analgesic ladder in the management of pain.
Keywords: Analgesics; Pain management; Prescriptions; Anti-inflammatory agents, Non- steroidal; Nigeria
Corresponding author
Dr. Abimbola O. Opadeyi,
Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Benin
Benin city
Email: abimbola.opadeyi@uniben.edu
