Study to Conduct Prescription Audit as per Objective Elements of NABH in Medical and Surgical Wards of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Background: Prescriptions play a crucial role in modern healthcare, serving as a fundamental tool for physicians to communicate treatment plans and medication recommendations to patients. Writing prescriptions must comply with good practice guidelines, which can be developed through training. The aim of this study was to evaluate adherence to NABH norms on prescription writing of doctors and perform a prescription audit based on objective elements of NABH. Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out in the Medical and Surgery Wards of a tertiary care teaching hospital for 3 months with 300 samples. A checklist aligned with NABH objective elements was used for data collection. Compliance percentages for each element were calculated using MS-Excel, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. Results: For the prescription audit, 300 samples were evaluated. 22% lacked patient ID numbers, 89% missed bed numbers, and 95% omitted patient weight. 100% of prescriptions contained at least one drug not written in its generic name. Errors were found in strength (9%), route (20%), and dose frequency (4%). Allergy information was absent in 65%, while 32% lacked a diet plan. Potential drug-drug interactions were identified in 26%. Conclusion: In relation to doctors’ prescribing patterns, several errors were identified after data analysis. These findings highlight the necessity of educating prescribing doctors to write rational prescriptions and adhering to NABH standards to improve patient care and hospital quality. Keywords: Accreditation, Compliance, NABH, Prescription audit, Quality, Tertiary care teaching hospital.