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Rational prescribing in paediatrics in a resource-limited setting

Rachel Risk1, Hamish Naismith, Alexander Burnett

  • 1Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|May 11, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Overprescription of antibiotics and high micronutrient use were found in Gambian children, highlighting a need for better prescribing guidelines. Further research is crucial for rational pediatric prescribing in low-income countries.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric pharmacology
  • Global health
  • Health systems research

Background:

  • Inappropriate medication use leads to increased healthcare costs, especially in resource-limited settings.
  • Overprescription contributes to antibiotic resistance, a significant global health concern.
  • Paediatric prescribing patterns in Africa remain under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and analyze paediatric prescribing practices in The Gambia, West Africa.
  • To assess medication use in children under five years old.
  • To identify potential areas for improving rational drug prescription.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective survey of 2,400 patient encounters in 20 government health centers across The Gambia.
  • Utilized the WHO protocol DAP/93.1 for data collection.
  • Recorded patient demographics, diagnoses, and medications for children under 5.

Main Results:

  • Mean of 2.2 medications per encounter; antibiotics prescribed in 63.4% of cases.
  • High antibiotic use observed for cough, coryzal symptoms (54.5%), and simple diarrhea (44.8%).
  • Micronutrients were used in 21.7% of encounters; 74.8% of medications were prescribed generically.

Conclusions:

  • Significant overprescription of antibiotics and substantial micronutrient use were identified.
  • Lack of international evidence-based guidelines may contribute to current prescribing patterns.
  • Cost-effective interventions and further research on rational paediatric prescribing in low-income settings are urgently needed.
Abstract

Keywords:
EpidemiologyPaediatric PracticePharmacologyTropical Paediatrics

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