Table 2.
Comparison between the present study (government hospitals) and studies conducted in other private hospitals in UAE.
| Study | UAE 1 Holloway and Green (2003) | UAE 2 Sharif et al. (2008) | UAE 3 (current study) | WHO Joncheere (2002) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of study | 2005 | 2009 | 2012a | |
| Number of healthcare facilities (hospitals) | 1 (private) | 4 (private) | 4 (government) | |
| Number of prescriptions per encounter | 1190a | Not reported | 1100 | |
| (2659 drugs) | (2741 drugs) | |||
| Prescribing indicator | ||||
| Mean number of drugs per prescription | 2.2 | 2.9a | 2.5 | ⩽2.0 |
| (poly-pharmacy 7.5) | Not reported | (poly-pharmacy 4.55) | ||
| Generics prescribing (%) | 4.4 | 7.35 | 100.0a | 100.0 |
| Antibiotics prescribing (%) | 21.4 | 31.1a | 9.8 | ⩽30.0 |
| Injections prescribing (%) | 1.6 | 2.9 | 3.14a | ⩽10.0 |
| Formulary prescribing (%) | Not reported | 64 | 100.0a | 100.0 |
Key: EML = Essential medicine list, % = Percentage, UAE = United Arab Emirates; WHO = World Health Organization.
a
The highest value achieved in rows.