title: Purchase of antibiotics without prescription in Manila, the Philippines. Inappropriate choices and doses.
abstract: The purchase of antimicrobial agents in drugstores in a district in Manila. The Philippines was examined in order to determine how these agents might be used. Most antimicrobial agents are imported as bulk products and repackaged by a large number of small firms into 1491 different preparations including 206 marketed as combinations with other drugs. Antimicrobial agents accounted for 20.1% of all drug purchases. Purchases were made without prescription in 66.3% of 1608 transactions. Most of these were aminopenicillins or penicillins G or V (40.0%). The most common perceived indications were respiratory tract infections (20.2%), tuberculosis (8.8%), "prophylaxis" (8.6%) and gastrointestinal infection (8.3%). Almost 90% of purchases were for 10 or less capsules or tablets. The median number of units purchased was 3. Customers with written prescriptions purchased a mean of 8 while those who self-prescribed purchased a mean of 4 units (p = less than 0.05). We believe that these practices can provide only limited clinical efficacy and should favor emergence of resistant bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of the Philippines College of Medicine, Philippine General Hospital, Manila.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lansang
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lucas-Aquino
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Tupasi
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Mina
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Juban
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Limjoco
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Nisperos
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kunin
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D010679:Philippines; D012651:Self Medication
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs