Open AccessSupply of benzathine penicillin G: the 20‐year experience in Australia
Author(s) -
Wyber Rosemary,
Johnson Timothy D.,
Patel Bhavini
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/1753-6405.12415
Subject(s) - penicillin , medicine , environmental health , pediatrics , antibiotics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 1 © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia Benzathine benzylpenicillin G (BPG) is a beta-lactamase antibiotic developed in 1951.1 Administered intramuscularly, BPG has low in vivo solubility, producing prolonged serum penicillin concentrations. This makes BPG suitable for treating penicillin-sensitive organisms responsive to extended, low serum penicillin concentration. In Australia, BPG licence indications include mild-moderate group A streptococcal (GAS) infections (pharyngitis) and treponemal infections (syphilis, yaws, bejel and pinta).2 BPG is also indicated for people with a history of acute rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) as secondary prophylaxis against GAS infections that can precipitate a recurrence of RF. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers BPG an essential medicine.3