title: Promoting prudent use of antibiotics: the experience from a multifaceted regional campaign in Greece.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antibiotic resistance, a major public health problem, has been linked to antibiotic consumption. In Greece both consumption and resistance rates are among the highest in Europe. A multifaceted campaign targeting both physicians and parents of school children was implemented for the first time in order to educate the public and update doctors, aiming to promote judicious use of antibiotics and hopefully decrease its consumption.
  
  
  METHODS
  The programme consisted of a public education campaign and academic detailing of primary care physicians in the district of Corinth in Peloponnese. The experience and perceptions of parents were recorded in the meetings in the form of course evaluation and assessment, anonymous questionnaires. The use of Rapid Antigen Detection Test (RADT) for streptococcal pharyngitis by primary care physicians was also assessed by use of anonymous questionnaires. Antibiotic consumption was compared before and after the programme between the district of Corinth and the other districts of Peloponnese, as well as at a national level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antibiotic consumption remained unaltered at 26 Defined daily doses per 1000 Inhabitants per Day (DID) in accordance with the trend in other regions and at a national level. However, the utilization of Amoxycillin and Penicillin was increased by 34.3%, while the use of other antimicrobial classes including macrolides, cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones decreased by 6.4-21.9%. The use of RADT did not lead to a significantly decreased antimicrobial consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A multifaceted educational programme targeting both the general public and primary care physicians was associated with rationalization in the choice of antimicrobial. A reduction in the total antimicrobial consumption was not achieved.
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital « Attikon », 1 Rimini Avenue, 12462 Haidari, Athens, Greece. dplach@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Diamantis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Plachouras
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antoniadou
authors.forename: Efthymia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giannitsioti
authors.forename: Lambrini
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galani
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Katsarolis
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kavatha
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koukos
authors.forename: Periklis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Panagopoulos
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Garyphalia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poulakou
authors.forename: Vissaria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sakka
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Souli
authors.forename: Styliani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sybardi
authors.forename: Sotirios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsiodras
authors.forename: Kyriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanellakopoulou
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Giamarellou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012040:Regional Health Planning; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents