Antibiotic prescription patterns for acute upper respiratory tract infections in an outpatient population with health insurance in Syria - a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background: Antibacterial resistance is an ongoing global issue, threatening the lives of millions and affecting the quality of health systems, resulting in high costs to the worldwide economy. Syria is one of many countries with a high rate of antibiotic prescription or consumption, even before the war.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the pattern of antibiotic prescribing with regard to acute upper respiratory tract infection (AURTI) cases throughout the year 2019; data were collected from GlobeMed Syria (now Modern Healthcare Claims Management Company) following ethical approval.