{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T22:25:01Z","timestamp":1780525501045,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,25]],"date-time":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1742860800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmacy"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The evaluation of internationally comparable indicators of medicine use is important to devise strategies to promote the rational use of medicines (RUM). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital from January to June 2024. Prescriptions were collected from the outpatient pharmacy using systematic random sampling and analyzed for WHO\/INRUD core prescribing indicators, index of rational drug prescribing (IRDP) and completeness (general, treatment and prescribers\u2019 details). Results: Out of 844 prescriptions collected, 607 were analyzed. A total of 1837 drugs were prescribed, with a mean (SD) of 3.03 (1.51) drugs per prescription; 1378 (75%) drugs were prescribed as generic names; 125 prescriptions (20.59%) had an antibiotic prescribed; and injectables were given in 7 (1.15%) prescriptions. Of the total 1837 drugs, 1018 (55.4%) were mentioned in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022, while 934 (50.8%) were included in the Haryana state essential medicines list (2013\u20132014). The IRDP was calculated as 3.86. The mean (SD) completeness score of the prescriptions was 10.33 (0.8) (range 5 to 11). Conclusions: There was a high incidence of polypharmacy, brand name and non-essential drug prescribing, while antibiotic and injection use were in accordance with WHO standards.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmacy13020048","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,25]],"date-time":"2025-03-25T10:53:54Z","timestamp":1742900034000},"page":"48","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Prescription Audit in Outpatient Pharmacy of a Tertiary Care Referral Hospital in Haryana Using World Health Organization\/International Network of Rational Use of Drugs (WHO\/INRUD) Core Prescribing Indicators: A Step Towards Refining Drug Use and Patient Care"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Nikhil","family":"Verma","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-2181-9247","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shanmugapriya","family":"Vinayagam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7209-098X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Niti","family":"Mittal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rakesh","family":"Mittal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Neeraj","family":"Bansal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2024, December 22). Promoting Rational Use of Medicines. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/activities\/promoting-rational-use-of-medicines."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ofori-Asenso, R., and Agyeman, A. (2016). Irrational Use of Medicines\u2014A summary of key concepts. Pharmacy, 4.","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmacy4040035"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mao, W., Vu, H., Xie, Z., Chen, W., and Tang, S. (2015). Systematic review on irrational use of medicines in China and Vietnam. 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