To study the antihypertensive drug utilization pattern among Hypertensive patients in a rural tertiary care teaching Hospital at Salem, Tamilnadu, India. A prospective study of 9 month duration was conducted at the tertiary care hospital. The prescriptions containing antihypertensives were collected from the patients attending the outpatient department of general medicine. Pregnant women were excluded from the study. The patient’s demographics, blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs prescribed were entered in a specially designed proforma. A total of 310 prescriptions were monitored, of which 188 were male and 122 were female. The age group of the patients varies from 21 – 70 years. Among 310 hypertensives, 58.38% of patients were treated with dual combinations, 30.64% of patients were treated with single anti-hypertensive drug and 10.96% of patients were treated with triple drug combinations. In monotherapy, angiotensin receptor blocker (Telmisarton) were most commonly prescribed (n=21). In combination therapy, a two drug combination consisting of angiotensin receptor blocker (Telmisarton) and diuretics (hydrochlorthiazide) were given to the majority of patients (n=40; 12.90%). In Triple drug therapy angiotensin receptor blocker (Telmisarton), diuretics (hydrochlorthiazide) and calcium channel blocker (Amlodipine) are the highest prescription (8.06%) for the patients. The study conclude that, ARBs are the most used antihypertensive agent especially Telmisartan. ACEIs are the least prescribed antihypertensive agent. Double and triple combination therapies are more used when compared to monotherepy. In combination therapy ARB and Diuretics (16.23%) are placing the first place in prescription and followed by ARB and CCB (12.73%). The least combination was BB with Diuretics (1.93%)
