Nsojo A, George L, Mwasomola D, Tawete J, Mbotwa CH, Mweya CN, Mwakyula I. Prescribing patterns of antimicrobials according to the WHO AWaRe classification at a tertiary referral hospital in the southern highlands of Tanzania.
Infect Prev Pract 2024;
6:100347. [PMID:
38405014 PMCID:
PMC10883815 DOI:
10.1016/j.infpip.2024.100347]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background
Antimicrobial consumption continues to rise globally and contributes to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to evaluate antimicrobial prescribing patterns in a selected tertiary hospital in Tanzania.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted for one year (September 2021-September 2022) at Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital, a public hospital in the southern highlands zone of Tanzania. Data on clinical diagnosis, laboratory tests, prescribed antimicrobials, and prescribers' designations were collected through a custom eMedical system, aligning antimicrobials with the WHO's 2021 AWaRe classification. Descriptive analysis was performed to assess the pattern of antimicrobial prescriptions.
Results
Of 2,293 antimicrobial prescriptions, 62.41% were ACCESS, 37.42% were WATCH, and 0.17% fell in the RESERVE categories. Metronidazole, accounting for 23.8%, was the most commonly prescribed antimicrobial. More than 50% of the ACCESS and WATCH prescriptions were justified by laboratory diagnosis and were predominantly prescribed by clinicians. A very small proportion of prescriptions (<1%) were informed by culture and sensitivity (C/S) testing. The Paediatric department had the majority of WATCH prescriptions (72.2%).
Conclusion
The prescribing patterns at the study hospital generally align with WHO AWaRe guidelines, potentially mitigating antimicrobial resistance. Nevertheless, the scarcity of culture and sensitivity testing is a concern that warrants targeted improvement.
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