Emmanuel Umegbolu

Prescribing patterns in systemic hypertension and pharmaco-economics (cost effectiveness and cost minimisation analyses) of the commonly prescribed antihypertensives in a district hospital in enugu state, southeast nigeria

  • Authors Details :  
  • Emmanuel I. Umegolu

Journal title : International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences

Publisher : Medip Academy

Print ISSN : 2320-6071

Page Number : 20

Journal volume : 6

Journal issue : 1

630 Views Research reports

Background: Prescribing patterns in systemic hypertension vary from place to place. Studies have shown that cost could be one of the factors responsible for non-adherence to treatment among hypertensive patients. Nigerian pharmacoeconomics studies have not provided a general guide on cost-effective prescribing for hypertensive patients in the country. The aim of the study was to examine the prescribing patterns, do cost effectiveness and cost minimisation analyses of the commonly prescribed antihypertensives, and determine if cost is a major reason many of the hypertensive patients of the District Hospital are usually lost to follow up. Methods: 5267 adult (≥18 years) non-antenatal patients’ cards of 2016 were reviewed for hypertension. Examination of the prescriptions, cost-effectiveness and cost-minimisation analyses of the commonly prescribed antihypertensives were done. Results: 12.6% of the patients were hypertensive. 73% of these hypertensive patients were treated pharmacologically. 40.8% adhered to treatment. 73% of the adherent ones responded to treatment. Amlodipine was the most expensive prescribed antihypertensive (N22). Amiloride-hydrochlorothiazide with the largest cost effectiveness ratio (CER) (9) was the most cost effective of all the combinations. Lisinopril- hydrochlorothiazide (N17) was preferable to the triple combination of lisinopril-amlodipine-hydrochlorothiazide (N39), and amlodipine-hydrochlorothiazide (N32) in cost minimisation. Conclusions: Cost of drugs probably had played a significant role in non-adherence to treatment among hypertensive patients in the District Hospital in 2016, since moduretic with the largest CER (9) and nifedipine with the greatest BP reduction when combined with hydrochlorothiazide (56/22 mm Hg) were rarely prescribed.

Article DOI & Crossmark Data

DOI : https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20175706

Article QR Code

Prescribing patterns in systemic hypertension and pharmaco-economics (cost effectiveness and cost minimisation analyses) of the commonly prescribed antihypertensives in a district hospital in enugu state, southeast nigeria QR Code

Article Subject Details


Article Keywords Details



Article File

Full Text PDF





More Article by Emmanuel Umegbolu

Upsurge in the incidence of scabies (a neglected tropical disease) in some rural communities of southeast nigeria: any nexus with climate change?

Background: scabies is characterized by the presence of burrows, erythematous papules, and generalized pruritus which is usually worse at night. recently an upsurge in the incidenc...

The roles of stethoscopes and sphygmomanometers in hospital-acquired infections: a case study of some district hospitals in enugu state, southeast nigeria

Background: hospital acquired infections (hais) are infections that patients acquire while receiving treatments for other conditions. studies have shown that stethoscopes and sphyg...

Sero-prevalence of salmonella typhi antibodies among adult residents of some selected rural communities of abia and enugu states, southeast nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Background: salmonella typhi (s. typhi) antibodies may be considered as biomarkers of typhoid fever, a severe febrile systemic illness caused by an invasive gram-negative bacterium...

Fate of e-waste in households in enugu west senatorial district of enugu state, southeast nigeria

Background: e-waste, is the waste generated from used electrical and electronic devices that are no longer fit for their original intended use. currently e-waste comprises more tha...