[Prescription of drugs in Norway to children aged 0-12 years].
The first part of a project initiated at the Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, University of Oslo, on use of drugs in the treatment of children involved a study of prescriptions in September 1986. All pharmacies in the country were asked to record all drugs prescribed to 0-12 year old children during one week. 87% of all Norwegian pharmacies took part in the study and data were recorded for 7,587 prescribed drugs. Drug prescribing was highest in the county of Hedmark, and lowest in the county of Troms. For the age group 0-10 years 23% more drugs were prescribed to boys than to girls. Infants (0-1 year) were prescribed drugs ten times more often than the oldest children. 3% of the infants (0-1 year) were prescribed drugs during the week the study took place. More than 43% of the total prescriptions were for drugs for the respiratory organs. Antasthmatics comprised the largest subgroup (796 prescribed drugs). Boys were prescribed 65% more antasthmatics than girls. Every 20th of the total prescriptions was for an oral decongestant. There are few rational reasons for prescribing drugs in this group. As a single group, systemic antibiotics were the drugs most often prescribed, and accounted for as much as 30% of the total prescriptions. The observed choice of antibiotics does not seem to agree with Norwegian recommendations.
Andrew
M
M
Institutt for farmakoterapi, Universitetet i Oslo.
Toverud
E L
EL
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents
Legemiddelforskrivning til 0-12 år gamle barn i Norge.