Abstract:
ntibiotic overuse is a major public health challenge worldwide and it can result
in the emergence and spread of drug resistance. In Mozambique, there are limited data related
to primary care physicians’ antibiotic prescription patterns. The aim of this study was to assess
the antibiotic prescription patterns for HIV- positive patients in primary health care.
Methods: A prospective cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in eight primary
health care units in Southern Mozambique. The study was based on recording outpatient
prescriptions using a structured questionnaire. Three hundred and sixty-nine prescriptions
and clinical records of HIV-positive patients from 31 prescribers were assessed. A total of eight
general practitioners, 13 medical technicians and 10 nurses participated.
Results: Antibiotics were used in 65.9% of prescriptions, with an average of 0.9 antibiotics per
prescription. Of a total of 334 prescribed antibiotics, 69.8% were for the treatment of infections
and 30.2% for prophylaxis. Penicillin (29.2%), sulphonamides (19.7%), and quinolones (16.3%)
were the most prescribed classes of antibiotics for treatment. For prophylaxis, only
sulphonamides (93.1%) and macrolides (6.9%) were prescribed. The diagnosis was the only
variable that had a significant association with antibiotic prescription (p < 0.001). Most of
penicillins (68.0%) and sulphonamides (21.4%) were prescribed to treat infections related to
the respiratory tract.
Conclusion: The prescription of antibiotics was high and influenced by patient clinical
conditions. Antibiotics were prescribed either for treatment or prophylaxis of infections,
mostly to treat respiratory tract infections. Prescribers should be encouraged to adopt a rational
use of antibiotics to reduce unnecessary prescriptions
