Pattern of antibiotic use in the community: Νon-adherence and self-prescription rates in an Italian urban population

  • Authors:
    • G. Grosso
    • S. Marventano
    • R. Ferranti
    • A. Mistretta
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: March 1, 2012     https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2012.818
  • Pages: 1305-1310
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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess the pattern of antibiotic use in a community setting of an urban area of Italy and identify factors that affect adherence to their use. By using a questionnaire-based survey, we collected 1,269 interviews and performed analysis on those patients who had their last course of antibiotic within the past 12 months (956 subjects). Among the subjects reporting that they had not followed their last antibiotic course as prescribed, 14.7% stopped therapy early, 5.4% modified the dosage, and 5% changed the prescribed antibiotic. Approximately 23% of the subjects declared that they self-prescribed antibiotics. After adjusting for all covariates, major predictors for the self-prescription of antibiotics were younger age, female gender and higher socioeconomic and educational status. Conversely, both low educational and socioeconomic status were associated with a higher risk of non-adherence to physician indications. The findings of this study assessed the widespread pattern of poor antibiotic-taking behavior and provides important implications for understanding the targets of future educational campaigns to control the use and misuse of antibiotics.

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May 2012
Volume 5 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1791-2997
Online ISSN:1791-3004

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Spandidos Publications style
Grosso G, Marventano S, Ferranti R and Mistretta A: Pattern of antibiotic use in the community: Νon-adherence and self-prescription rates in an Italian urban population. Mol Med Rep 5: 1305-1310, 2012
APA
Grosso, G., Marventano, S., Ferranti, R., & Mistretta, A. (2012). Pattern of antibiotic use in the community: Νon-adherence and self-prescription rates in an Italian urban population. Molecular Medicine Reports, 5, 1305-1310. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2012.818
MLA
Grosso, G., Marventano, S., Ferranti, R., Mistretta, A."Pattern of antibiotic use in the community: Νon-adherence and self-prescription rates in an Italian urban population". Molecular Medicine Reports 5.5 (2012): 1305-1310.
Chicago
Grosso, G., Marventano, S., Ferranti, R., Mistretta, A."Pattern of antibiotic use in the community: Νon-adherence and self-prescription rates in an Italian urban population". Molecular Medicine Reports 5, no. 5 (2012): 1305-1310. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2012.818