| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2016 | Volume
: 14
| Issue : 1 | Page : 6-10 |
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Antihypertensive prescription patterns of nonspecialist general practitioners in Lagos, Nigeria
Babawale Taslim Bello, Cashmir Ezenwa Amadi, Christiana Oluwatoyin Amira, Amam Chinyere Mbakwem
United States Centers for Disease Control, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria
Correspondence Address:
Babawale Taslim Bello
Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos
Nigeria
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/1118-4647.177530
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Context: Concerns have been expressed about the antihypertensive prescription patterns of nonspecialist physicians who care for the majority of patients with hypertension in developing countries. Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the antihypertensive prescription pattern of nonspecialist general medical practitioners in Lagos, Nigeria. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional survey carried out among nonspecialist general medical practitioners within Lagos State, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A total of 132 doctors completed questionnaires about their demographics, duration and location of practice, and antihypertensive prescription patterns. Statistical Analysis Used: Continuous variables are presented as means or medians while categorical variables are presented as percentages. Comparison between means was done using the Student's t-test, while comparison between percentages was carried out using Chi-square test. Results: Majority (61.2%) considered thiazide diuretics their first choice antihypertensive. The most frequently prescribed antihypertensives were calcium channel blockers (CCBs) (88.6%), thiazide diuretics (85.6%), and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) (84.8%). These were also the most frequently combined with the CCB-thiazide diuretic combination being the most frequently prescribed (81.1%) followed by the ACEIs - thiazide diuretic combination (65.9%). The most frequently considered factors when prescribing antihypertensive medications were side effects of the medications (92.4%), additional benefits beyond blood pressure (BP) lowering (90.9%), patients' BP at the time of presentation (89.4%), dosage frequency of the drug (87.9%), and available scientific evidence for efficacy in lowering BP (87.1%). Conclusions: The antihypertensive prescription pattern of nonspecialist physicians practicing in Lagos aligns with current hypertension treatment guidelines. |
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