Background: The WHO and International Network for Rational Use of Drugs (WHO/INRUD) developed a list of indicators that are broadly used for evaluating irrational drug prescribing. The objective of the current study is to measure drug use indicators in urban and rural primary health care facilitates in Mansoura district. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was carried out on 450 encounters attended urban and rural primary health facilities in Mansoura district, Dakahlia Governorate during the period from October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017.
Results: Prescriptions of drugs with generic names and prescriptions with antibiotics were 51.9% and 40.9% respectively. The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter was 1.9 (SD 0.41). The average consultation time and the average dispensing time were 7.3 (SD 1.7) minutes and 32.2 (SD 6.9) seconds respectively. Drugs adequately labeled were 57.6% and 52.4% of encounters knew the correct dosage. In addition, 14.7% of encounters were cured without drugs. The average drug cost per encounter at the time of the study was 19.67 (SD 2.92) EGP. Regarding urban-rural inequality concerning drug use indicators, the following were significantly higher in rural than in urban health care facilities (prescriptions with antibiotics, average number of drugs prescribed per encounter, average consultation time, average dispensing time, drugs adequately labeled, percentage of cure without drugs and the average drug cost per encounter at the time of the study).
Conclusion: There is an irrational use of drugs in primary health care facilitates in Mansoura district when investigated by the WHO/INRUD drug indicators.