Self-medication with antibiotics in rural population in Greece: a cross-sectional multicenter study.
BACKGROUND
Self-medication is an important driver of antimicrobial overuse as well as a worldwide problem. The aim of the present study was to estimate the use of antibiotics, without medical prescription, in a sample of rural population presenting in primary care in southern Greece.


METHODS
The study included data from 1,139 randomly selected adults (545 men/594 women, mean age +/- SD: 56.2 +/- 19.8 years), who visited the 6 rural Health Centres of southern Greece, between November 2009 and January 2010. The eligible participants were sought out on a one-to-one basis and asked to answer an anonymous questionnaire.


RESULTS
Use of antibiotics within the past 12 months was reported by 888 participants (77.9%). 508 individuals (44.6%) reported that they had received antibiotics without medical prescription at least one time. The major source of self-medication was the pharmacy without prescription (76.2%). The antibiotics most frequently used for self-medication were amoxicillin (18.3%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (15.4%), cefaclor (9.7%), cefuroxim (7.9%), cefprozil (4.7%) and ciprofloxacin (2.3%). Fever (41.2%), common cold (32.0%) and sore throat (20.6%) were the most frequent indications for the use of self-medicated antibiotics.


CONCLUSIONS
In Greece, despite the open and rapid access to primary care services, it appears that a high proportion of rural adult population use antibiotics without medical prescription preferably for fever and common cold.
Skliros
Eystathios
E
3rd Department of Internal Medicine and Center of Diabetes, General Hospital of Nikaia Ag, Panteleimon, Piraeus, Greecee.
Merkouris
Panagiotis
P
Papazafiropoulou
Athanasia
A
Gikas
Aristofanis
A
Matzouranis
George
G
Papafragos
Christos
C
Tsakanikas
Ioannis
I
Zarbala
Irene
I
Vasibosis
Alexios
A
Stamataki
Petroula
P
Sotiropoulos
Alexios
A
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003139:Common Cold / Q000188:drug therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents