The effect of reimbursement on the use of antibiotics.

Objective: To examine the effect of a reduction on the reimbursement of drugs on the use of antibiotics by general practitioners in Denmark.

Design: A prospective study using a questionnaire comparing the results with a similar study 3 years before, a period with normal reimbursement.

Participants: 553 general practitioners prescribed antibiotics for 5765 patients.

Do specialists give special antibiotic treatment?

The use of antibiotics is increasing with increasing ecological and economic problems as a consequence. In Denmark, antibiotics are prescribed by doctors and in order to intervene, it is important to know details about prescription habits. Danish patients are referred to specialists by their general practitioner when further investigation or treatment is needed.

Changes in prescription of antibiotics in general practice in relation to different strategies for drug information.

The worldwide use of antibiotics is increasing with increasing costs and resistant bacteria as a consequence. The Danish use of antibiotics is one of the lowest in DDD/1,000 inhabitants/year; however, the use of ampicillin and co-trimoxazole has been found to be too high. An information campaign in the beginning of 1987, using written material, stressed the importance of reducing the ampicillin and co-trimoxazole and increasing the penicillin usage in Denmark.

Nitrofurantoin versus trimethoprim prophylaxis in recurrent urinary tract infection in children. A randomized, double-blind study.

The efficiency of nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim prophylaxis in preventing recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) was compared by means of actuarial percentage recurrence-free curves in a randomized, double blind study in 130 children (126 girls, 4 boys) aged 1 to 14 years (mean 7.5). The children received the antibiotics for 6 months.