title: [Analysis of antibiotic use in the Community of Valencia (2000-2002)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify antibiotic prescriptions in the Autonomous Community of Valencia in the years 2000-2002 and analyze the differences in antibiotic use among 20 Valencian Community health areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective observational population study (3,983,464 inhabitants) of prescriptions recorded in Valencian Community pharmacies during the period 2000-2002. We calculated defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants and day (DHD), for the population without pharmaceutical fees (e.g. pensioners), the population with pharmaceutical fees (e.g. actively working) and the total population. The antibiotics analyzed belonged the J01 group (ATC/DDD classification).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antibiotic consumption was 26.47 DHD in 2000, 23.56 DHD in 2001 and 23.48 DHD in 2002. The most frequently prescribed drug groups included: broad-spectrum penicillins (J01C) 11.8 DHD, macrolides (J01F) 5.6 DHD, and other beta-lactams (J01D) 3.95 DHD. There was considerable variation between the population without pharmaceutical fees and the population with pharmaceutical fees: JO1C (DHD 18.49 vs. 9.73), JO1F (11.06 vs. 3.84) and quinolones (J01M) (9.16 vs. 1.22) (p < 0.05). There was also substantial variation between areas, both overall and by groups (p < 0.05): J01C 6.36 DHD to 12.14 DHD; (J01F), 3.78 DHD to 6.08 DHD; (J01D), 2.28 DHD to 4.65 DHD, and (J01M) 2.39 DHD to 3.6 DHD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a slight trend to decreasing antibiotic use in the Community of Valencia over the period of 2000-2002. The population without pharmaceutical fees showed much higher antibiotic use than those with pharmaceutical fees, and there was considerable variation in prescriptions between the different public health care areas.
authors.affiliation: Atención Primaria del Area 17, Elda, Alicante, Spain. pedrera_vic@gva.es
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pedrera
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pascual de la Torre
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gil-Guillén
authors.forename: Domingo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Orozco
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Canelles
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents