Prescription Pattern of Antibiotics for Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in Shah Alam, Malaysia

Background: Upper respiratory infection (URTI) is a contagious infection of the upper respiratory tract which includes the nose, pharynx and larynx. Most of these infections are viral in origin yet treated often with antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics is a worldwide problem. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prescribing pattern of antibiotics in management of URTI among doctors in Shah Alamand to determine the antibiotics most often prescribed for URTI.

Material & Method: A cross sectional study was conducted at two private hospitals and seven clinics in Shah Alam. A total number of 128 doctors participated in this study.The data was collected through well– structured questionnaires. Analysis of data was done by using descriptive statistics.

Result: This study showed few prescriptions for antibiotics in treatment of URTI as most of doctors (89%) didnot recommended it. Although the number of cases of URTI diagnosed weekly was high, yet most of them were non-bacterial and did not require any drugs. However,most of the doctors interviewed had not attended clinical antibiotic training though they were well aware of the latest Malaysian Antibiotics Guidelines. Amoxycillinwas the most prescribed antibiotic in certain cases of URTI which needed antibiotic prescription.

Conclusion: Most of URTI cases do not require antibioticsfor treatment. The prescription pattern of antibiotics in Upper Respiratory Tract Infection showed no difference between the doctors involved in hospitals and clinics.