Cardiovascular medications among the critically ill patients of a tertiary care hospital: A drug utilization study

Cardiovascular disorders are one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. The patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) represent a diverse patient population with variable demographic characteristics and admission criteria. A substantial proportion of patients admitted to the MICU with non-cardiac illnesses have associated cardiac co-morbidities. The critically ill patients represent a high risk population in whom judicious and appropriate pharmacotherapy can be life-saving while irrational use of medications can be life-threatening. Prescription audits help to evaluate and recommend modifications in current prescribing practices of physicians to ensure rational and quality medical care. Developing countries have limited funds available for health care and drugs. Drug utilization studies review the concordance of current drug prescription pattern with the treatment protocol. This study aimed to evaluate the utilization pattern of cardiovascular drugs in a consecutive series of patients admitted to MICU.