A descriptive study on prescription pattern of antihypertensive medications in a tertiary care hospital in Northern Sri Lanka

Abstract Background: Hypertension is the major public health problem globally and it causes a significant health burden to developing countries like Sri Lanka. The prescribing patterns of antihypertensive medications are highly dynamic due to the invention of new medications and update in the existing guidelines. Objective: The present study focused on the prescription pattern of antihypertensive medications, factors influencing the choice, and its effect on blood pressure control in a tertiary care hospital in Northern Sri Lanka. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the medical outpatient clinics of Teaching Hospital, Jaffna. The researcher administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed statistically using SPSS 26. Results: Most of the patients prescribed by monotherapy (46.7%) followed by two medications regimes(33.8%). Among the monotherapy group, “Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors”(ACEI) (30.1%) were the most widely prescribed. Commonly used medications for the treatment of hypertension either as monotherapy or combination therapy were ACEI (72.6%), CCB-DP (35.9%), Thiazide diuretics (32%), ARB (19.8%), and alpha-blockers (11.7%). Factors such as age (P-0.012), family income (P<0.001), place of residence (P-0.016), and diabetes mellitus (P-0.026) were significantly influenced the choice of antihypertensive medications. Further type of medication regime also (P-0.014) significantly influenced the SBP control. Conclusion: In this study, prescription patterns of antihypertensive medications were largely complied with published international guidelines and were rational. Type of medication regime significantly influenced systolic blood pressure control. Despite published hypertension management guidelines, the choice of antihypertensive medications should be tailored to each patient depending on the socio-demographic and clinical factors. Keywords: Antihypertensive medication pattern, Northern Sri Lanka, Blood pressure control, Hypertension