Premium
Current prescribing trends of antibiotics by dentists in Australia from 2013 to 2016. Part 1.
Author(s) -
Teoh L,
Stewart K,
Marino RJ,
McCullough MJ
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
australian dental journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1834-7819
pISSN - 0045-0421
DOI - 10.1111/adj.12622
Subject(s) - medical prescription , medicine , amoxicillin , antibiotics , clavulanic acid , pharmaceutical benefits scheme , population , family medicine , pediatrics , environmental health , pharmacology , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Abstract Background Literature has shown dentists tend to overprescribe antibiotics and do not always prescribe in accordance with recommended guidelines. Unnecessary prescribing is one major factor that contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance. The aim of the present study was to assess the antibacterial prescribing patterns of dentists in Australia from 2013 to 2016. Methods Data on dental antibacterial prescriptions dispensed under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ( PBS ) from 2013 to 2016 was accessed and prescribing trends analysed. The prescribing rates were standardized to the dose and population. Results There was a slight decrease in the dispensed use of most antibacterials from 2013 to 2016, but there was a significant increase in the dispensed use of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid of 11.2%. Amoxicillin was the most commonly dispensed antibiotic, accounting for approximately 65% of all antibacterials from 2013 to 2016, while phenoxymethylpenicillin accounted for only 1.4% of prescriptions in 2016. There were low but significant quantities of dispensed antibiotic prescriptions that do not fit with current guidelines. Conclusions The data suggest that dentists in Australia are prescribing some antibiotics inappropriately and there is a preference for moderate‐ to broad‐spectrum agents. The current PBS dental schedule is inconsistent with prescribing guidelines and may contribute to inappropriate prescribing.