Skip Navigation



JAC Advance Access published online on October 29, 2003
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, doi:10.1093/jac/dkg464
© 2003 by The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
52/6/1001    most recent
dkg464v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Zintzaras, E.
Right arrow Articles by Ioannidis, J. P. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Zintzaras, E.
Right arrow Articles by Ioannidis, J. P. A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 2003 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Original article

Modelling of escalating outpatient antibiotic expenditures

Elias Zintzaras 1 and John P. A. Ioannidis 2 *

1 Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology Unit and Clinical Trials and Evidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina 45110; Biomathematics Unit, University of Thessaly School of Medicine, Larissa 41222, Greece;
2 Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology Unit and Clinical Trials and Evidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina 45110; Division of Clinical Care Research, Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA

* Corresponding author. E-mail: jioannid{at}cc.uoi.gr.

Received 27 February 2003 ; revised 13 May 2003 ; accepted 1 September 2003

Abstract

Objectives: To model the relative role of old and newly introduced antibiotics in shaping increased antibiotic use.

Methods: Grouped data covering nationwide consumption and expenditure for out-of-hospital antibiotics in Greece (1990-1999) were used. The antibiotic formulations were categorized into ‘common old formulations’, ‘old formulations with intermittent sales’, ‘recast formulations’ and ‘new substances’. The effect of each category was investigated based on index and pricing analyses.

Results: We estimated a 143% net increase in out-of-hospital antibiotic use during 1990-1999. The increase was 59% when all formulations of antibiotic substances available by 1990 were considered. A rapid turnaround of formulations of old substances was noticed with 669 formulations marketed during the decade. Sixteen new antibiotic substances were first introduced after 1990 and by 1999 they accounted for 34.9% of total out-of-hospital antibiotic expenditures. Three new antibiotics (a macrolide and two cephalosporins) accounted for over 90% of this amount. For all three, other less expensive alternatives were available.

Conclusions: In the studied setting, out-of-hospital antibiotic use has been expanding in a highly substance-specific and non-rational fashion that is accelerated by the introduction of new drugs.

Keywords: antibiotic use, expenditure, model
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.