A Comparative study of patterns of prescription ofAntibiotics in Two Health Centres in Lagos

Abstract

A total of 535 and 670 prescription were analysed in a prospective study comparing the patterns of prescription of antibiotics in both the out- patient and in-patient departments of two health centres, Randle and onikan respectively in June and July 1998. There was antibiotic prescription in 363 (67. 85%) in Randle Avenue Health Centre, and 422 (62.96%) in Onikan. Co-trimoxazole was the most frequently prescribed antibiotic at Randle while at onikan it was cephalexin representing 25%and 17%of the total drugs used at these centres respectively. The percentage of encounters with antibiotic in Randle and onikan were comparable, 67. 85% and 62.98 respectively. The number of antibiotic in drugs prescribed at onikan was almost double that at Randle, 876 and 475 respectively despite the lack of statistical difference between the numbers of patients prescribed with antibiotics at the two centres (P. 0.05). The average number of drugs prescribed at the two health centres were found to be comparably, 2.41+_0.02 for Randle and 2.64+_ 0.02 for onikan (P0.05). It is necessary for the physicians at these centres to have a more rational approach to the use of antibiotics, this will further improve the general prescribing pattern which appear commendable.


(J. of the Nigerian Association of Infection Control, 2000, 3(1): 20-23)