A descriptive study on drug prescription pattern among preoperative and postoperative inpatients in Department of General Surgery at SMS hospital, Jaipur

Background: Perioperative pharmacotherapy plays an important role in preventing complications, relieving pain, controlling infection, and supporting recovery after surgery. Evaluation of prescribing patterns using World Health Organization (WHO) core prescribing indicators can identify areas for improving rational and cost-effective medicine use. Aim was to evaluate the drug prescription pattern among preoperative and postoperative inpatients in the Department of General Surgery at SMS Hospital, Jaipur. Methods: A hospital-based observational study was conducted among 322 adult surgical inpatients at SMS Hospital, Jaipur, over one year from September 2024 to August 2025. Prescription data were assessed during the preoperative period and on the second postoperative day. Drug utilization was evaluated using WHO core prescribing indicators and the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022. Data were entered into Microsoft excel and summarized using means, standard deviations, frequencies, percentages, tables, and graphs; a p<0.05 was considered statistically significant where applicable. Results: Among 322 patients, the mean number of drugs per encounter increased from 6.33±1.17 preoperatively to 7.61±1.47 postoperatively. The proportion of drugs prescribed by generic name decreased from 77.84-68.80%. Proportion of encounters with antimicrobials increased from 98.45% to 100%, while injections were prescribed in 100% of encounters during both periods. Prescribing from NLEM 2022 98.82% preoperatively and 93.84% postoperatively. Conclusions: Drug utilization increased after surgery, with frequent use of analgesics, antimicrobials, gastrointestinal protective agents, and intravenous fluids. Prescribing from the NLEM 2022 remained high; however, the lower proportion of generic prescribing postoperatively and extensive antimicrobial and injection use indicate areas where prescribing practices and antimicrobial stewardship could be further strengthened.