Table 1 Core drug use indicators and their optimal values

Prescribing Indicators

 Average number of drugs prescribed per patient encounter

1.6–1.8

 Percent medicines prescribed by generic name

100

 Percent encounters with an antibiotic prescribed

20.0–26.8

 Percent encounters with an injection prescribed

13.4–24.1

 Percent medicines prescribed from essential medicines list or formulary

100

Patient-Care Indicators

 Average consultation time (minutes)

≥10

 Average dispensing time (seconds)

≥90

 Percent medicines actually dispensed

100

 Percent medicines adequately labeled

100

 Percent patients with knowledge of correct doses

100

Facility-Specific Indicators

 Availability of essential medicines list or formulary to practitioners

100

 Percent key medicines available

100