Procurement of Prescription Only Medicine (POM); Sources, Pattern and Appropriateness

The study aims at assessing the extent of the adoption of the proper medical order of procurement for use of prescription only medicines (POM) by duly implemented health care program originated by a physician or other healthcare practitioner from community pharmacy outfits in urban centers in Nigeria. Buyers at the points of purchase located at the three senatorial districts of Akwa Ibom state were intercepted and their buying status ascertained. The prescriptions presented were analyzed for the origin, type and nature of the paper, content, correctness and other required attribute of a proper prescription followed by administration of a structured questionnaire to probe into the origin of the prescription and purpose of need of the drugs. Buyers without prescriptions were interrogated to know the source of their knowledge of the requested drugs. A total of 568 prescriptions were considered. The prescriptions were defective in identification with respect to prescriber’s name, signature and addresses of prescriber in the percentage frequency 73, 31 and 27. The bearer’s names were omitted in 34% of the prescriptions. Prescriptions with ambiguity, illegibility, wrong spellings were 16%, 15% and 12% respectively. Non prescription buyers were 48.2% of total buyers. Analgesic and antiinfective were purchased in the order 37% and 23% respectively and were significantly higher in males than females (P<0.05). The indiscriminate request and order for POMs in urban centres may call for scrutiny before sales and appropriate legislation need be in place to check the disorder of inappropriate use of this class of medications.