10.22376/ijpbs.2019.10.1.p1-12 Volume 6 Issue 4 2015 (October - December) The present study was undertaken to know the trends of drug prescribing in dental outpatient department (OPD) of a rural tertiary care hospital. A prospective prescription audit was conducted for a period of 3 months from February 2015 to April 2015 at dental OPD and data was analyzed using WHO indicators/guidelines. The total number of prescriptions analyzed was 250. Average number of medicines per prescription was 2.8. Of the total medications prescribed, 32% each were antimicrobial agents and analgesics-antiinflammatory agents, and the percentage of antiulcer drugs was 26.1%. Most commonly prescribed antimicrobial agent (87.5%) was a fixed dose combination of amoxicillin and cloxacillin. Most commonly prescribed analgesic-anti inflammatory agent (57.01%) was a fixed dose combination of ibuprofen and paracetamol. Some other medications included preparations of multivitamins and oropharyngeal mouthwashes and pastes. Antimicrobial agents and analgesic-antiinflammatory agents were prescribed as fixed dose combinations to a majority of patients. The high incidence of their use as fixed dose combinations needs to be addressed by a feedback to the prescribers. The prescribers need to be sensitized regarding rational prescribing as well as the importance of choosing drugs from essential drug list. Dr. CHINCHOLKAR APARNA AND Dr. JAPTIWALE SUBHASH Drug utilization, prescription pattern, Dental OPD, WHO indicators. 723-728