Table 1.
Core drug use indicators and their optimal values
| Core drug use indicators | Optimal values |
|---|---|
| Prescribing Indicators | |
| Average number of drugs prescribed per patient encounter | 1.6–1.8 |
| Percent medicines prescribed by generic name | 100 |
| Percent encounters with an antibiotic prescribed | 20.0–26.8 |
| Percent encounters with an injection prescribed | 13.4–24.1 |
| Percent medicines prescribed from essential medicines list or formulary | 100 |
| Patient-Care Indicators | |
| Average consultation time (minutes) | ≥10 |
| Average dispensing time (seconds) | ≥90 |
| Percent medicines actually dispensed | 100 |
| Percent medicines adequately labeled | 100 |
| Percent patients with knowledge of correct doses | 100 |
| Facility-Specific Indicators | |
| Availability of essential medicines list or formulary to practitioners | 100 |
| Percent key medicines available | 100 |