Abstract:
Background: Antibiotic use requires regular monitoring to prevent emergence of antibiotic resistance.
Objectives: To assess antibiotic prescribing patterns at health care facilities (HCF) in Ilala district, Tanzania.
Methods: A 1 year retrospective study was conducted in four HCFs using WHO/International Network of Rational
Use of Drugs (INRUD) core prescribing indicators. Factors associated with antibiotic prescription were analysed
using logistic regression model.
Results: A total of 604 prescriptions were reviewed. Patients had median age (IQR) of 15 (4–31) years with
majority having upper respiratory tract infection 33.3% (n " 201), urinary tract infection 31.1% (n " 188) or diar rhoea 21.2% (n " 128). Out of 624 prescribed antibiotics, amoxicillin was the most common (22.7%), followed
by ciprofloxacin (13.6%) and metronidazole (11.6%). The studied HCFs had an average of 1.99 medicines pre scribed per consultation (reference: 1.6–1.8). Of 1203 medicines prescribed, 51.9% (n " 624) were antibiotics
(reference: 20.0%–26.8%). Additionally, 97.6% (n " 609) of the antibiotics appeared on the national essential
medicines list, whereby 84.4% (n " 510) were prescribed by generic names (reference: 100%). Patients with
peptic ulcers had a 4.4-fold higher chance of receiving antibiotics [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) " 4.4, 95%
CI " 1.918–10.13, P " 0.0001] while patients with diarrhoea had a 2.6-fold higher chance of receiving at least
one antibiotic (aOR " 2.6, 95% CI " 1.206–5.491, P " 0.015).
Conclusions: We found inappropriate use of antibiotics in the studied primary HCFs. Antibiotic stewardship
programmes should be extended to primary HCFs found in Ilala district
