Antibiotics (Jul 2023)

Antibiotics Prescriptions Pattern among Patients Visiting Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study from Qatar

  • Salma Al-Nuaimi,
  • Sara Alkuwari,
  • Abdullah M. Al-Jubouri,
  • Salma Hegazi,
  • Lolwa Jolo,
  • Hafsa Khalid,
  • Saoud Bossa,
  • Eisa Al-Shirawi,
  • Merin Alex,
  • Khalid H. Elawad,
  • Habib Hasan Farooqui,
  • Susu M. Zughaier

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12081228
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 8
p. 1228

Abstract

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been associated with an increased risk of secondary bacterial infections. Numerous studies have reported a surge in antibiotic usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the frequency and patterns of antibiotic prescriptions at Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) in Qatar, comparing the period before and during the pandemic. Methods: This population-based, cross-sectional study analyzed all antibiotic prescriptions issued in two-month intervals before COVID-19 (November and December 2019) and during the initial wave (June and July 2020) of COVID-19. The study included 27 PHCCs in Qatar. Results: Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the PHCCs dispensed a total of 74,909 antibiotic prescriptions in November and December. During the first wave of COVID-19, the number decreased to 29,273 prescriptions in June and July 2020. Antibiotics were most commonly prescribed for adults and least commonly for the elderly, both before and during the COVID-19 period. In the pre-COVID-19 period, Betalactams and macrolides accounted for the majority (73%) of all antibiotic prescriptions across all age groups. However, during the COVID-19 period, Betalactams and other antibiotics such as Nitrofurantoin and Metronidazole (73%) were the most frequently prescribed. Conclusion: The rate of antibiotic prescriptions during the first wave of COVID-19 was lower compared to the two months preceding the pandemic at the PHCC in Qatar.

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