Drugs in postoperative state are used for analgesia, prevention of infection, nausea and vomiting, intravenous infusions etc. Also a larger availability of various drugs in the market can lead to irrational prescribing and increase in the health care cost. We therefore decided to undertake the following study in the postoperative patients who underwent surgery in a tertiary care hospital attached with the medical college. We collected data from 720 postoperative patients in the surgery ward of a tertiary care hospital over a period of 12 months. We analyzed the data using the various drug use indicators given by the WHO. The average number of drugs per encounter was 9.03. Analgesics, antibiotics, intravenous fluids accounted for majority of the drugs prescribed. 100% of encounters were prescribed an antibiotic. Average number of injections prescribed was 5.70. Out of 35 different drugs prescribed 16 (45.71%) were from the National list of essential drugs, India. And 17 (48.57%) were prescribed by their generic name. Average drug cost per encounter in a postoperative patient in our study was 1090.40 INR. The present study gives us an idea about the overall pattern of drug use profile in postoperative patients in the surgical unit of a tertiary care hospital. Poly-pharmacy was very common, particularly in case of the antimicrobial agents. Prescribing for antimicrobial agents was without evidence and for the purpose of prophylaxis only. Prescribing according to the national essential list of medicines is very low.
