Magnitude and determinants of antibiotic dispensing without prescription in Spain: a simulated patient study

OBJECTIVES: Excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics increases antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude and determinants of antibiotic dispensing without prescription in Spain by the simulated patient technique. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conduct...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Zapata Cachafeiro, Maruxa, Piñeiro Lamas, María, Guinovart, María C, LOPEZ VAZQUEZ, PAULA, Vázquez Lago, Juan Manuel, Figueiras Guzmán, Adolfo
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Servizo Galego de Saúde (SERGAS)
Repositorio:RUNA. Repositorio da Consellería de Sanidade e Sergas
OAI Identifier:oai:runa.sergas.gal:20.500.11940/12604
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6337896/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=30395222
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11940/12604
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Pregnancy
Preventive Medicine
Drug Resistance, Bacterial
Pharmacy
Sex
Azithromycin
Anti-Bacterial Agents
farmacia
acitromicina
sexo
medicina preventiva
embarazo
antibacterianos
farmacorresistencia bacteriana
Antibióticos
Dispensación de antibióticos
Descripción
Sumario:OBJECTIVES: Excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics increases antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude and determinants of antibiotic dispensing without prescription in Spain by the simulated patient technique. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with all the pharmacies in a region of north-west Spain (n = 977), between December 2016 and January 2017. Four actors visited the pharmacies simulating a respiratory infection. Four incremental levels of pressure were used to obtain an antibiotic. The education and sex of the person who was dispensing and the area where the pharmacy was located were recorded. The effect of these independent variables on the dispensing of an antibiotic without prescription (1 = yes, 0 = no) was modelled by logistic regression. RESULTS: An antibiotic was obtained in 18.83% (95% CI = 16.5%-21.41%) of the visits. The area influenced the dispensing of antibiotics without a medical prescription, with a greater likelihood of dispensing in rural (OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.20-2.68) or semi-rural (OR = 1.66; 95% CI = 1.13-2.44) areas than in urban areas. No association was found with the sex or the training of the person who dispensed the antibiotic. In the pharmacies in urban areas, a lower level of pressure was needed to obtain the antibiotic. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that one-fifth of the pharmacies still dispense antibiotics without prescription, especially under patient pressure. A rural setting has been identified as a risk factor for dispensing without prescription, so it must be taken into account for future interventions.