Prescribing Trends of Antihistamines in the Outpatient Setting in Al-Kharj
Main Article Content
Abstract
Aim: This study aims to illustrate the prescribing trends of antihistamines in the outpatient setting in Al-Kharj.
Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study that included the evaluation of antihistamines in the
outpatient setting in a public hospital in Al-Kharj. The data were collected from the pharmacy-based computer
system. Results: The total number of prescriptions that included antihistamines was 799. Most of the prescribed
antihistamines were first-generation sedating antihistamines (chlorphenamine and diphenhydramine)
(66.33%). About 63.20% of the prescribed antihistamines included chlorpheniramine followed by cetirizine
(19.27%) and loratadine (14.39%). Conclusion: Antihistamines were prescribed commonly in the outpatient
setting mainly first-generation sedating antihistamines. It is recommended to increase the awareness of healthcare
providers about the efficacy and the side effects of antihistamines and to encourage them to use these
agents wisely.
Downloads
Article Details
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International License [CC BY-NC 4.0], which requires that reusers give credit to the creator. It allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, for noncommercial purposes only.