Drug Utilisation Pattern of Probiotics in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Clinical Study

Background: Probiotics are widely prescribed in clinical practice. However, data describing their utilisation patterns remain limited in tertiary care settings. Objectives: To evaluate the drug utilisation pattern of probiotics in a tertiary care hospital with respect to patient demographics, primary diagnosis, indications for use, prescription characteristics, strain distribution, and association with antibiotic therapy. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional observational study was conducted over a 3 months period in a tertiary care hospital. A total of 400 probiotic-containing prescriptions were analysed. Data collected included demographic details, primary diagnosis, indication for probiotics, strain composition, strain-wise distribution, duration of therapy, and co-prescription with antibiotics. Descriptive statistics were used, and associations between probiotic strain type and antibiotic classes were analysed using chi-square test. Results: Of the 400 prescriptions,57.0% were issued to males, and the majority belonged to 19–60 year age group. Gastrointestinal disorders constituted the most common primary diagnosis (63.1%), with diarrheal disorders accounting for a larger proportion. Diarrhea remained the predominant diagnosis among prescriptions without concurrent antibiotic therapy. Indications for probiotic use were documented in 55.3% of prescriptions. Dermatological conditions accounted for 11.3% of probiotic prescriptions, reflecting their expanding use beyond gastrointestinal conditions. Probiotics were co-prescribed with antibiotics in 55.5% of cases, and a statistically significant association was observed between strain type and certain antibiotic classes, including cephalosporins, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Probiotics are widely prescribed in tertiary care practice, predominantly for diarrheal disorders. Their use in dermatological conditions and use of selective strain highlight evolving prescribing trends. The findings underscore the need for standard guidelines to support targeted probiotic use in clinical practice.