Journal article
Non-prescription antimicrobial use worldwide: a systematic review
The Lancet. Infectious diseases, Vol.11(9), pp.692-701
06/08/2011
DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(11)70054-8
PMCID: PMC3543997
PMID: 21659004
Abstract
In much of the world antimicrobial drugs are sold without prescription or oversight by health-care professionals. The scale and effect of this practice is unknown. We systematically reviewed published works about non-prescription antimicrobials from 1970-2009, identifying 117 relevant articles. 35 community surveys from five continents showed that non-prescription use occurred worldwide and accounted for 19-100% of antimicrobial use outside of northern Europe and North America. Safety issues associated with non-prescription use included adverse drug reactions and masking of underlying infectious processes. Non-prescription use was common for non-bacterial disease, and antituberculosis drugs were available in many areas. Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are common in communities with frequent non-prescription use. In a few settings, control efforts that included regulation decreased antimicrobial use and resistance. Non-prescription antimicrobial and antituberculosis use is common outside of North America and northern Europe and must be accounted for in public health efforts to reduce antimicrobial resistance.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Non-prescription antimicrobial use worldwide: a systematic review
- Creators
- Daniel J Morgan - University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. dmorgan@epi.umaryland.eduIruka N OkekeRamanan LaxminarayanEli N PerencevichScott Weisenberg
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Lancet. Infectious diseases, Vol.11(9), pp.692-701
- DOI
- 10.1016/S1473-3099(11)70054-8
- PMID
- 21659004
- PMCID
- PMC3543997
- NLM abbreviation
- Lancet Infect Dis
- ISSN
- 1474-4457
- eISSN
- 1474-4457
- Publisher
- United States
- Grant note
- 1 K08 HS18111-01 / AHRQ HHS K08 HS018111 / AHRQ HHS
- Comment
- Conflicts of interest DM and SW have received unrestricted research grants from Merck. ENP has received unrestricted research grants from Merck and Pfizer. INO and RL declare no conflicts of interest.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/08/2011
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9983779494402771
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