[Variability in the antibiotics prescription in the Avila Province]

This study analyzed the consumption of systemic antibiotics in the province of Avila, Spain, and its Basic Health Areas (ZBS) during 2005. It was a retrospective observational study of the consumption of systemic antibiotics (ATC class J01) during 2005 using the data collected by the Concylia program. The study population was identified from the 2005 Medical Card Register database. Consumption data was expressed in defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DID), calculated in relation to the contribution of the user at the time of acquiring the prescription. It was found that antibiotic consumption in the province of Avila in 2005 was 26.91 DHDAj. There was a considerable difference between rural (36.63) and urban areas (15.44) with a large variability among the different Basic Health Areas. The areas with a smaller number of inhabitants per town or city and per doctor, used more antibiotics, which could be due to more severe pathology, absence of self-medication or lack of diagnostic resources, among other factors. There is no relation between greater consumption and workload. It was concluded that the consumption of antibiotics in the province of Avila is high due to their use in rural areas. A high variability in the consumption of antibiotics was observed between the different areas, which was related to the smaller number of inhabitants per city or town and per doctor, but had no relation to workload.