[Dispensing antibiotics to outpatients in a Colombian population].

OBJECTIVES Analysing how systemic antibiotic agents were dispensed to outpatients in a Colombian population between January 2005 and December 2006 and assessing their economic cost as antibiotic use and abuse have been related to serious bacterial resistance. METHODS This was a descriptive observational study of antibiotic drug use; a database was compiled from medication usage records maintained by dispensing pharmacies in 10 Colombian cities regarding the total of users who had received some type of antibiotic. The defined daily dose (DDD) and cost per 1,000 inhabitants/day were assessed. The commonly used antibiotic associations were analysed. RESULTS DDD was 1.58 per 1,000 inhabitants per day. The antibiotics most frequently prescribed were penicillin (amoxiciline; dicloxaciline), followed by first-generation cephalosporines and sulphonamides. Injectable antibiotic use was 10.4 % in 2005 and 9.3 % in 2006; an association of anti-bacterial agents was used for 11 % of the patients. Total antibiotic dispensation cost in 2005 was US$ 1,708,350 and cost per 1,000 inhabitants per day was US$ 1.13 in 2005 and US$ 1 in 2006. CONCLUSIONS DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day and cost per inhabitant per day was low compared to other countries.