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Patterns of Prescribing Co-Amoxiclav to Children in Ibri Polyclinic, Oman
Weaam S Al-Yaqoubi1, Nadia S Al-Maqbali1
1Ibri Polyclinic, Ibri, Oman.
Insights
Many children aged 5 and under received unnecessary co-amoxiclav prescriptions at an Omani polyclinic. Adherence to Ministry of Health (MOH) antibiotic guidelines was low, indicating a need for stricter enforcement and provider training.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance is a growing global concern.
- Appropriate antibiotic prescribing in children is crucial for effective treatment and resistance prevention.
- Oman's Ministry of Health (MOH) has established guidelines for antibiotic use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe co-amoxiclav prescribing patterns in children ≤5 years old at a polyclinic in Oman.
- To evaluate adherence to Omani MOH antibiotic prescription guidelines.
- To identify areas for improvement in pediatric antibiotic prescribing.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional retrospective study of 399 children aged ≤5 years prescribed co-amoxiclav suspension.
- Data collected from electronic medical records at Ibri Polyclinic (IPC), Oman.
- Prescriptions reviewed for compliance with MOH guidelines.
Main Results:
- Co-amoxiclav was the first-line treatment in 90.5% of cases, often unnecessarily.
- Prescriptions were predominantly written by general practitioners (73.9%).
- Culture tests were infrequently ordered (10.8%), with low sensitivity to prescribed co-amoxiclav.
Conclusions:
- Significant overuse of co-amoxiclav was observed in pediatric patients at IPC.
- Strict enforcement of MOH antibiotic guidelines is essential.
- Enhanced training for healthcare providers on evidence-based antibiotic prescribing is recommended.
Objectives:
This study aimed to describe patterns of prescribing co-amoxiclav to children aged ≤5 years at a polyclinic in Oman and to assess level of adherence to the antibiotic prescription guidelines outlined by the Omani Ministry of Health (MOH).
Methods:
This cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted between June and December 2017 at Ibri Polyclinic (IPC) in Ibri, Oman. A random sample of 399 children aged ≤5 years who were prescribed a suspension of co-amoxiclav over the four winter months of 2016 were included in the study. The children's electronic medical records were reviewed to determine whether the prescription complied with MOH guidelines.
Results:
The majority of the children were 2-3 years old (52.4%). Overall, 73.9% of prescriptions were written by general practitioners, while 26.1% were written by specialists. Co-amoxiclav therapy was the first line of management in 90.5% of cases, regardless of category of prescriber. Culture tests were ordered in only 43 cases (10.8%), of which five (11.6%) were found to be sensitive to the prescribed co-amoxiclav.
Conclusion:
Unnecessary antibiotics were prescribed to many paediatric patients attending IPC. Strict enforcement of the MOH antibiotic guidelines is needed to reduce irrational or discretionary prescription of this type of antibiotic. Healthcare providers should receive additional training in evidence-based methods of prescribing antibiotics.