Studies on Changes in Prescribing Drugs for Injections, based on the Amount of Money Spent for Drugs.

In order to evaluate possible changes in the prescribed drugs for injection, the amount of money spent for drugs at Kumamoto University Hospital over the past 9 years was investigated. As a result, some changes were identified regarding the types of drugs used and the amount of money spent. The amounts of money spent for purchasing a group of antibiotics which had been previous representative of frequently used drugs decreased dramatically. On the other hand, the use of plasma preparations, albumins and immunoglobulins etc. have remained stable, except for antithrombin III preparation. In contrast, the amounts of money spent on granulocyte-colony stimulating factors, serotonin receptor antagonist type antiemetics, interferons and nonionic contrast media have increased remarkably. The frequency of prescribing morphine preparartions also tended to increase over the past several years. Based on the present findings, the prescribing of drugs for injection is expected to proceed in a rational and patient-oriented direction from now on.