Amitriptyline prescribing in public sector healthcare facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Inappropriate medication use is a major patient safety concern, especially for the elderly population. Amitriptyline is widely used in primary care in South Africa and a cross-sectional study found that amitriptyline was prescribed potentially inappropriately in 6.5% of elderly patients. An analysis of prescriptions from the Chronic Dispensing Unit in the Western Cape revealed that amitriptyline was one of the most common medicines prescribed without a suitable diagnosis listed on the prescription.

Objective

The main objective of the medicine use evaluation (MUE) was to determine whether amitriptyline was prescribed in accordance with recommendations from standard treatment guidelines (STG) and essential medicines lists (EML) endorsed by the National Department of

SUBMITTER: Coetzee R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7170249 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature