To study the utilization pattern of glucocorticosteroid drugs with special emphasis on their adverse effects in a tertiary care teaching rural hospital, attached to a medical college. One hundred patients on glucocorticoids drug therapy in departments of Medicine, Orthopedics, Skin & VD, TB & Chest, Ophthalmology and Paediatrics were randomly recruited in the study. Patients were interviewed and necessary information regarding disease and therapy was collected as per case record form. All these patients were followed up till their hospital stay. During visits, patients were asked about adverse drug reactions as well as other problems with drug use. The data was entered in to SPSS-16 software for statistical analysis. In case records collected from one hundred patients, the total number of drug prescribed were 1081, i.e. a mean of 10.81 drugs per patients in 971 formulations.Out of 1081, two hundred and eighteen (20.17%) were from glucocorticoids group of drugs. Amongst this group, dexamethasone dipropionate (30.28%), budesonide (22.48%), and prednisolone (23.85%) were used predominantly in conditions like bronchial asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, photodermatitis.In one hundred patients, 92 adverse drug reactions were reported. The most frequent adverse drug reactions observed were muscular weakness (48.91%) and insomnia (27.17%). Use of glucocorticoid drugs was found appropriate and as per standard guidelines and current protocol of prescribing glucocorticoid drugs. Comparatively, less number of adverse drug reactions were observed. However, there is over prescribing of the drugs to the patients. That need a special attention of all doctors and clinical pharmacists to work together to establish a rational, and practical protocol for clinical conditions.
KEY WORDS: Drug Utilization, Glucocorticoid Drugs , Adverse Drug Reactions