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CHAPTER 8: MEDICATIONS
This chapter describes the medications prescribed in primary care. For each encounter, doctors could record up to four medications per diagnosis, with maximum of 24 medications per encounter. The doctors
were asked to record the medications in generic or brand name, including the dosage form, route of administration, dose, frequency, duration of therapy and total quantity.
Overall results combining total medications from public and private clinics were presented by ATC level 1, 3 and 5. Comparison of the most frequently prescribed medications between public and private clinics
were reported at ATC level 5 or equivalent.
8.1 NUMBER OF MEDICATIONS PRESCRIBED PER ENCOUNTER
The distributions of primary care encounters with and without medications are presented in Table 8.1.
Table 8.1 Number of encounters for which medication was prescribed
Variable Overall, n
Public, n Private, n
Encounters without medication 16,168 11.4
6,511 15.4 9,657 9.7
Encounters with medication 125,425 88.6
35,829 84.6 89,596 90.3
A total of 479,856 medications were recorded; 223,977 medications 46.7 from public clinics and 255,878 medications 53.3 from private clinics. Figure 8.1 shows the number of medications prescribed per
encounter in public and private clinics. 1RPHGLFDWLRQQLOZDVJLYHQIRURIHQFRXQWHUVLQSXEOLFFOLQLFVDQGRIHQFRXQWHUVLQ
private clinics. This group of patients mainly came for medical examination or health screening and presented with no underlying disease.
0HGLFDWLRQVZHUHSUHVFULEHGLQDUDQJHRIRQHWRWKUHHSHUHQFRXQWHUVIRUDSSUR[LPDWHO\RI total encounters in both sectors.
0D[LPXPQXPEHURIPHGLFDWLRQVSUHVFULEHGSHUHQFRXQWHUZDVSXEOLFFOLQLFDQGQLQHSULYDWH clinic.
Figure 8.1: Number of medications prescribed per encounter in primary care clinics in 2012
Number of medications prescribed per encounter
Nil One
Two Three
Four Public
15.4 20.0
20.0 18.7
25.0 Private
9.7 15.0
20.6 27.2
27.5
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5 10
15 20
25 30
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