Table 1 Core drug use indicators and their optimal values

  Average number of medicines 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

  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

  Availability of essential medicines list or formulary to practitioners

100

  Percent key medicines available

100