title: Antibacterial drug prescription for outpatients: age, seasonal and pulmonary disease dependency.
abstract: The goal of this study was to analyze antibacterial drug prescribing in the 1-million-plus, strictly defined population in Poland. For the 2002-2005 years, data from National Health Fund on outpatient purchasing of antibiotics in Lubuskie's Province were collected and expressed in DDD per 1-thousand inhabitants per day (DID). In the period 2002-2005 the average rate of antibiotics purchasing was 19.8 DID. During the 3-year period, at least 64.3% of the population had prescribed antibiotics. 22.7% of patients purchased 62.6% of a three-year total purchasing of antibacterial drugs in the province. A tiny 1.9% of the population purchased 10.0% of the total. From the different age-group, the study showed that special attention should be paid to two different and relatively small groups of patients - those utilizing significant percentage of the year's supply, and group of 5-9 year-old children. Seasonal variation in antibiotic prescribing was strictly linked with the age of patients. Pulmonary diseases were indentified as a factor considerably elevating antibacterial drugs purchasing frequency. A useful way to present recurring patterns in this frequency has been proposed.
authors.affiliation: Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Unit of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Kraków, Poland. ddziurda@cm-uj.krakow.pl
authors.forename: Dominik R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Dziurda
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polak
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skowron
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuschill-Dziurda
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brandys
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011044:Poland; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents