Assessment of prescribing practices for respiratory tract infections in public health facilities, Jinja City, Uganda, June 2022–May 2023

Abstract Background: Rational drug use ensures that medications are prescribed based on clinical needs, appropriate dosages, and for the right duration, minimizing healthcare costs. Irrational antibiotic use is a key driver of antibiotic resistance (ABR) emergence. We evaluated the conformance of drug prescriptions to the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribing indicators among patients with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) attending public health facilities in Jinja City, Uganda. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted across 11 public health facilities in Jinja City, Eastern Uganda, from June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. Patient records of those diagnosed with RTIs were selected using systematic random sampling. Several prescribing indicators were assessed, including the number of drugs prescribed per patient encounter, the percentage of encounters with antibiotics, the percentage of drugs from the essential drugs list, the percentage of drugs prescribed by generic name, and the percentage of encounters with injectable medications. Data were analyzed for compliance with WHO prescribing standards. Results: Three indicators met or were close to WHO targets: the average number of drugs prescribed per patient (2.7, WHO target