Survey about the use of clarithromycin in an ENT outpatient department of a tertiary hospital.

We undertook this survey about the use of clarithromycin in the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Outpatient Department of Fudan University Hospital to understand its utilization patterns and rational use. A survey of prescriptions given to outpatients was carried out, and detailed information of the patients, including age, sex, diagnosis, combined medication, and other information, was recorded in Excel spreadsheets. The rationale for each prescription was evaluated retrospectively. Based on our analysis, 82.5% of the clarithromycin prescriptions were for the treatment of rhinosinusitis. It was found that the parameters for the diagnosis of this condition were surprisingly broad and should have been more specific. In addition, the clarithromycin dosage regimen varied in clinical practice. For chronic rhinosinusitis, the duration of treatment was between 8 and 16 days, which was not sufficient. Moreover, clarithromycin was prescribed along with considerable numbers of pharmacotherapeutic anti-allergic drugs. Our survey indicated that improvements in the quality of clarithromycin prescriptions in otolaryngology outpatients should be made. Furthermore, the importance of medical education to patients should be emphasized. In addition, the interaction between clarithromycin and other anti-allergic drugs requires further investigation.