Outpatient use of systemic antibiotics in Poland: 2004-2008.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to evaluate the quantity and pattern of outpatient antibiotic use in Poland between 2004 and 2008 and to determine the trends in prescribing practice. To investigate the oral and parenteral outpatient antibiotic use in Poland.


METHODS
Data concerning outpatient use of systemic antibiotics between 2004 and 2008 were obtained from Polish National Health Fund databases expressed as the number of defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID) according to the international Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical ATC classification system of the World Health Organization (WHO, version 2009).


RESULTS
Total outpatient antibiotic use in Poland varied from the lowest 17.88DID in 2004 to the highest 21.39DID in 2007. Penicillins (J01C) represented the most frequently prescribed antibiotics constituting more than 50% of the total outpatient antibiotic use. The other most popular groups of antibiotics were tetracyclines (J01A), macrolides (J01F). On the fourth and fifth position were cephalosporins (J01D) and quinolones (J01M), respectively. The parenteral antibiotic use did not exceed 1% of the total outpatient antibiotics prescribed with cefuroxime being the most frequently prescribed drug.


CONCLUSIONS
Total outpatient use of antibiotics in Poland in 2004-2008 was comparable to the median European level. The consumption of all antibiotics slightly increased from 2004 to 2007, and decreased in 2008. The most often prescribed antibiotics were penicillins, mainly amoxicillin and amoxicillin with enzyme inhibitor. During the study period the use of the older (narrow-spectrum) antibiotics decreased in favour of the newer (broad-spectrum) antibiotics. The results suggest the discrepancy between national recommendations and choice of antibiotics by physicians.
Małgorzata
M
Chlabicz
Sławomir
S
Chlabicz
Ludmiła
L
Marcinowicz
Dorota
D
Rogowska-Szadkowska
Barbara
B
Pytel-Krolczuk
Katarzyna
K
Leszczyńska
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018942:Macrolides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013754:Tetracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; D018942:Macrolides; D010406:Penicillins; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D013754:Tetracyclines