Utilization Review of Antihypertensive Agents in Outpatient Setting at a Private Hospital in Negeri Sembilan

Hypertension is the elevated level of blood pressure in both systolic and diastolic. It is one of the prevalent diseases that are still in the concern of public health. Since 1960, hypertension has caused a lot of morbidity and mortality to the patients. Statistic shows that almost 61% of hypertension cases in Malaysia remain undiagnosed. The objective of this study is to describe the drug utilization pattern of antihypertensive agents in the outpatient setting of a private hospital and the defined daily dose (DDD) used by the private hospital in comparison to WHO DDD. A drug utilization review of antihypertensive agents in one of the private hospitals in Negeri Sembilan was conducted. The study was conducted for a period of 12 months in the selected hospital. The samples for this study were chosen based on the appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sample size was calculated by using Daniel formula with the confidence interval (CI) of 95%. An ethical consideration was approved by Research Management Centre of KPJ University College before conducting this study. This study is useful to inform the healthcare providers on the current status and pattern of antihypertensive use. Additionally, this study can be used to examine whether the doctors adhere to the current guidelines standardized by WHO.