A Prospective Observational Study on the Prescribing Trends of Cardiovascular Drugs

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a more frequent morbidity and mortality in India; the case ratio is gradually rising due to lifestyle and socio-economic changes. issues such as long-term treatment, high costs, polypharmacy, and irrational prescribing, creating awful therapeutic outcomes. Aim: To assess the prescribing trends and utilisation patterns of cardiovascular drugs in a tertiary care hospital. Methodology: A prospective observational study was conducted in the cardiology department of a tertiary care hospital from January to April 2026. A total of 150 patients were diagnosed with CVDs. Data on demographic characteristics, clinical diagnoses, comorbidities, prescribed cardiovascular medications, drug–drug interactions, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were collected and analysed graphically. Results: Among the study population, 79% were male and 21% were female, with the majority aged between 55 and 65 years. Coronary artery disease (64%) was the most common diagnosis, followed by myocardial infarction (25%). Hypertension (29.5%) and diabetes mellitus (24.3%) were the most frequently observed comorbidities. Antiplatelet agents were the most commonly prescribed drugs (82.6%), followed by anticoagulants (48.6%) and thrombolytics (6.6%). Aspirin (47.2%) and clopidogrel (41.6%) were the predominant antiplatelets, while unfractionated heparin (40%) was the most frequently used anticoagulant. Streptokinase was the preferred thrombolytic agent. Drug–drug interactions were identified in 90.2% of prescriptions, and 25 ADRs were reported. Conclusion: The study reveals extensive use of antiplatelets and anticoagulants in cardiovascular therapy. However, the high prevalence of polypharmacy and drug interactions highlights the need for rational prescribing, close monitoring, and patient education to improve treatment safety and outcomes.