Pattern of medication utilization in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in three District Headquarters Hospitals in the Punjab province of Pakistan
Zia Ul Mustafa, Chia Siang Kow, Muhammad Salman, Mahpara Kanwal, Muhammad Bilal Riaz, Samina Parveen, Syed Shahzad Hasan
Abstract
PURPOSE: In Pakistan, a wide range of repurposed drugs are recommended to manage hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Therefore, the current study was conducted to evaluate the pattern of utilization of repurposed drugs and other potential therapeutic options among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Pakistan. METHODS: This retrospective, multicenter, descriptive study enrolled consecutive hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who were admitted between March 1, 2021, and April 30, 2021, from three District Headquarter Hospitals in the Punjab province of Pakistan. We described patient and clinical characteristics and medications, stratified by COVID-19 severity during hospitalization: mild, moderate, and severe. In addition, an analytical study of drug utilization was conducted. FINDINGS: = 405; 91.2%), irrespective of their clinical severity. Only 60.1% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in our cohort received antithrombotic therapy, and the prevalence of use was especially low (27.8%) in patients with mild illness. Of 444 patientsscreened, 399 (89.9%) patients had been discharged, and 45 patients (10.1%) died. IMPLICATIONS: We provided an important glimpse into the utilization patterns of several medications of interest for the treatment of COVID-19 in Pakistan, which had not been entirely evidence-based, especially concerning systemic corticosteroids and antibiotics.