Evolution of oral antibiotics requests without prescription in a community pharmacy / Evolución de la demanda de antibióticos orales sin receta en una farmacia comunitaria

Objectives: To analyze the demand of oral antibiotics without prescription in an community pharmacy, and to compare this demand with 2000. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study in a community pharmacy at Benalmadena – Malaga Spain). From March to September 2004, all patients requesting an antibiotic without prescription were surveyed, gathering data about: age, gender, requested antibiotic, who is the antibiotic for, who advised the antibiotic, requesting cause (health problem), and pharmacist intervention result. Results: 279 requests for oral antibiotics without prescription were recorded. Age group more frequently requesting antibiotics is 31-45 years old (41.2%). Someone different from the user did 46.6% of requests. Self-medication reached 57.0% of total antibiotics, and medical prescription without a prescription form was 43.0%. Total antibiotics request by therapeutic group was: penicillins (49.1%), macrolides (17.2%), quinolones (6.8%), cefalosporins (6.1%), sulfamides (5.4%), and tetraciclins (3.2%). The main causes for requesting were throat problems (36.2%) and teeth problems (23.3%). In 55.4% of self-medication requests pharmacist could not persuade the patient to use a different drug or to visit the physician. Conclusions: In our health-care area, there exist evidence of high percentages of self-medication with antibiotics, and of prescriptions without a prescription form.