A study on the prescribing pattern of antibiotics in rural area of Bangladesh

Abstract

Objectives: Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally over time through genetic changes. However, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics are accelerating this process. In many places, antibiotics are overused or misused and often given without professional jurisdiction. This study was designed to analyze prescription patterns of antibiotics in rural area of Bangladesh and find out the ways to initiate national action plans to combat antibiotic resistance. Material and Methods: This study was conducted at Satkhira district of Bangladesh from July to October 2016 to accumulate data from 560 respondents. The data were collected by taking prescription details from patients or their relatives by face to face interview with them who were willing to respond. Statistical analysis was performed using statistical software package SPSS, version 23. Results: In current study, we found average 3.6 drugs prescribed per encounter and 68% prescriptions contained antibiotic products. Approximately 80% antibiotics were prescribed by general physicians (GPs) and rural medical practitioners (RMPs). Azithromycin was found as top prescribed antibiotic that contributed 16.8% of antibiotic prescriptions. Only 53% antibiotics were prescribed based on proper diagnosis and average number of antibiotics per prescription was 1.4. About 48% antibiotics were prescribed for 3-7 days, 31% for 2 days, and 21% for single day. We found 25.4% antibiotic prescriptions were coming from RMPs. Conclusion: Our study suggests that antibiotics are being prescribed without proper justification in rural area of Bangladesh. As a national priority, measures should be taken for the prevention of overuse or misuse of antibiotics to combat bacterial resistance.