DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2015.v03i02.064

Pages: 857-862

The incidence and prevalence of Congestive heart failure (CHF) is increasing. Several large clinical trials have found that pharmacological therapy results in decrease in mortality and morbidity. Despite the advances in drug therapy the morbidity and mortality of heart failure continues to remain high. Education of healthcare professionals on evidence based therapy plays an important role in successful heart failure programme. For a developing country like India, 70% of the population resides in rural areas, a national drug policy is needed for rational drug use. To achieve this, pattern of usage and monitoring drug use profile over a period of time is important. There are very few studies available pertaining to drug utilization in heart failure. Hence the present study. The study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in South India May 2011 to August 2012. Detailed history, chief complaints, physical signs & symptoms and investigations were recorded. During this period 100 prescriptions were collected. The data was analyzed using SPPS software. Almost all the patients received Diuretics either by oral or parenteral route. Majority of the patients were treated with ACE inhibitors or ARBs. Initial therapy was with diuretics in most of the cases and ACE inhibitors in few, further modified in some cases based on the response and later on β blockers and other drugs were added. A wide range of drugs were used in our study, the frequently used once were Diuretics, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, Bronchodilators and Hypolipidemic agents. It was observed that daily defined dose (DDD) value was highest for Furosemide (1.130) and then was with ramipril (0.791), the least DDD was with Metoprolol (0.015). The use of Pharmacoepidemiological data can aid the design, delivery & evaluation of interventions to improve the use of drugs in CHF patients & health outcomes of the patients.