The prescription data from a digital accounting system of a veterinary teaching hospital collected between 2008 and 2011 in Japan were downloaded, stored in a database and analysed using a statistical analysis software, SAS. Seventy-six per cent of all prescriptions were drugs approved for human beings. The most frequently prescribed category was 'Agents against pathogenic organisms', such as antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents, followed by 'Cardiovascular agents'. Seventy-five per cent of prescribed oral formulations in the category 'Agents against pathogenic organisms' were drugs approved for human beings, while 78 per cent of the injectable prescriptions were those for veterinary. A total of 36 oral antipathogenic products were prescribed, and among them amoxicillin was prescribed the most, followed by cephalexin for human beings and enrofloxacin for veterinary. The pattern of cyclosporin prescription, which is the most prescribed product other than 'Agents against pathogenic organisms', was surveyed. The capsule formulation was primarily used for dogs, while oral solutions were preferably used for cats. This pilot study is the first analytical data of real prescription in hospitals in Japan and one of the longest surveys in veterinary world.
Keywords: companion animals; digital accounting system; electronic database; surveillance of prescribed medicines; veterinary teaching hospital.