Mohammad Mahdi Hayatbakhsh-Abbasi - Specialist in Internal Diseases, Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Gholam Reza Sepehri - Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Habibeh Ahmadipour - Specialist in Community Medicine, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Sina Bakhshaei - General Practitioner, Family Physician, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Background & Objective: Rational prescription of medicine by physicians is one of the most important factors in the correct and complete treatment of patients The aim of this study was to evaluate prescription writing patterns of graduating interns for common illnesses in Kerman University of Medical Sciences Iran in ۲۰۱۳ Methods: In this descriptive crosssectional study the prescription writing pattern of ۵۰ interns of Kerman University of Medical Sciences were evaluated A written exam assessing prescription writing on ۳۰ common clinical cases was held Data were analyzed using SPSS software Results: The average number of items per each prescription was ۲۰۷ The frequency of medicines prescribed by their generic name and from the World Health Organization (WHO) list of essential medicines was ۹۶۸% and ۹۷۱% respectively Drug interaction was observed in ۵۶% of prescriptions The frequency of prescriptions containing antibiotics injectable medicines and corticosteroids was ۴۷۲% ۹۳% and ۶۵% respectively The most common groups prescribed were antibiotics and analgesics Conclusion: Based on the WHO recommended standards the prescription of antibiotics by interns of Kerman University of Medical Sciences was irrational and inappropriate Therefore educational interventions are necessary to improve prescription writing patterns among interns

Prescription writing pattern, Interns, World Health Organization, Antibiotics