Drug prescribing for children in general practice. A report from the Møre & Romsdal Prescription Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pharmacology
• General Practice
• Drug Prescribing Patterns

Background:

• Understanding drug prescribing patterns in pediatric care is crucial for optimizing treatment and managing antimicrobial resistance.
• General practitioners (GPs) are the primary point of care for most childhood illnesses, making their prescribing habits highly influential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and characterize the drug prescribing patterns of general practitioners for children aged 0-12 years in Western Norway.
• To identify the most frequently prescribed drug classes, specific agents, and associated diagnoses in pediatric consultations.

Main Methods:

• An observational, cross-sectional study design was employed.
• Data were collected from 7,229 general practitioner-patient contacts involving 5,222 prescribed drugs.
• Analysis focused on prescribing rates, drug groups, specific agents, and recorded diagnoses.

Main Results:

• The highest prescribing rates were observed in boys under 2 years old (82.1 prescriptions per 100 contacts).
• Respiratory system and systemic anti-infectives constituted two-thirds of all prescriptions.
• Phenoxymethylpenicillin and erythromycin were the most common antibiotics for specific respiratory and infectious conditions; antibiotics were frequently prescribed for tonsillitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and UTIs.

Conclusions:

• General practitioners in Western Norway exhibit distinct drug prescribing patterns for children, with a high prevalence of respiratory and anti-infective agents.
• The study highlights the significant role of specific antibiotics like phenoxymethylpenicillin and erythromycin in treating common pediatric infections.
• Findings underscore the need for continued monitoring of pediatric prescribing practices to ensure appropriate antibiotic use and combat resistance.