Point-prevalence survey of outpatient antibiotic prescription at a tertiary medical center in Sri Lanka: opportunities to improve prescribing practices for respiratory illnesses.

Background: Inappropriate antibiotic use is linked to the spread of antimicrobial resistance worldwide, but there are limited systemic data on antibiotic utilization in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of antibiotic prescription in an ambulatory care setting in Sri Lanka.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Outpatient Department of a public tertiary medical center in Southern Province, Sri Lanka from February to April 2019.