General practitioners' patterns of antimicrobial drugs prescription in the therapy of acute pharyngitis.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the patterns of antibiotic prescription in the treatment of acute pharyngitis among a group of general practitioners (GPs).


METHODS
From the records of their patients, 11 specialists in general practice have collected post hoc data on their patients and on acute pharyngitis in the period from October 1, 1994 to September 30, 1995.


METHODS
11 teaching practices in four health centres in Zagreb, Croatia.


METHODS
GPs grouped according to whether they had pre-school children in their care.


METHODS
The choice and cost of the prescribed antimicrobial drug, and the impact of the characteristics of the population in care to the prescription rate and structure.


RESULTS
An antimicrobial drug was prescribed in 784 (72.1%) cases of pharyngitis. Two groups of GPs have shown significant differences in the prescription rate (p < 0.001), and in the choice of antimicrobial drugs (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
GPs with a larger number of patients in their care suffering from chronic diseases tend to prescribe antimicrobial drugs more often in the treatment of acute pharyngitis.
Katić
M
M
Department of General Practice, A. Stampar School of Public Health, Medical School, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
Katić
V
V
Ivanković
D
D
Culig
J
J
Budak
A
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016527:Drug Costs; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents