OBJECTIVES: To assess antihypertensive drug treatment prescribed for essential hypertension in the Internal Medicine Polyclinic in a private hospital in South Sumatra, Indonesia.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included outpatients diagnosed with essential hypertension in the Internal Medicine Polyclinic in a private hospital in South Sumatra, Indonesia during the period of July 2013 until December 2015. Patients’ characteristics and antihypertensive drug treatment data were collected from the polyclinic medical records and hospital pharmacy records. Antihypertensive drug treatment was assessed based on the number of antihypertensive drugs prescribed per prescription, generic classification, antihypertensive drug classes, antihypertensive drug combinations, and the agreement with the National Formulary.

RESULTS: A total of 345 patients with essential hypertension and 1126 prescriptions were included in this study. The average number of antihypertensive drug per prescription was 1.03±0.18. Most (67.9%) of the antihypertensive drugs were prescribed as generics. Calcium channel blockers (74.8%) and antihypertensive agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system (20.3%) were most commonly prescribed. Many patients received combination antihypertensive drugs, with hydrochlorothiazide and captopril as the most often combination (47.5%). Only 66.5% of the drugs in the prescriptions were in agreement with the list of drugs in the National Formulary.

CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of essential hypertension in a private hospital in South Sumatra was improving. Attention needs to be directed to comply more with the National Formulary and generic prescribing.