Evaluation of the Utilization Pattern of Veterinary Drugs in Selected Veterinary Clinics of Mekelle City, Tigray, Ethiopia.

چکیده اصلی

BACKGROUND: Currently, a wide variety of pharmaceutical agents are marketed, but only a minority are authorized for use in animals with specific indications. Many veterinary professionals prescribe and administer medications based only on a tentative diagnosis, without first confirming the exact disease or condition. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the utilization patterns of veterinary drugs across different animal species and to identify factors associated with inappropriate drug use in selected veterinary clinics of Mekelle City, Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to October 2024 in three veterinary clinics (Clinic A, Clinic B, and Clinic C) in Mekelle City. The data were collected from case registration books and through a questionnaire survey administered to 15 veterinary clinicians. Information on prescribed drugs, diagnostic practices, and prescribing factors was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression methods. RESULTS: A total of 2183 drug products were prescribed for 1800 animal patients during the study period. Antimicrobials were the most frequently prescribed drug category, accounting for 55.3% of all prescriptions, followed by anthelmintics (21.2%) and other drugs (16.0%). Among antimicrobials, oxytetracycline (81.1%) and pen-strip (13.5%) were the most commonly prescribed drugs, while ivermectin (74.5%) was the predominant anthelmintic. CONCLUSION: The overall utilization patterns of veterinary medications in the three selected study clinics did not follow recommended guidelines for their use. Therefore, diagnostic accuracy and drug selection should be strengthened by promoting evidence-based diagnosis through better laboratory support and clinical guidelines to minimize tentative diagnoses and poor drug choices.

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