ArticleThe Pan African medical journal2021
The prevalence and pattern of antibiotic prescription among insured patients in Dar es Salaam Tanzania.
Article in The Pan African medical journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Antimicrobial prescription pattern and appropriateness for respiratory tract infection in outpatients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Vaginal Pathogenic Bacterial Colonization and Adverse Birth Outcomes among Pregnant Women Living with and without HIV in Tanzania.Research square · 2026Article
- Prevalence and patterns of antibiotic prescriptions in Conakry hospitals, Guinea: a multicentre cross-sectional survey.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2025Article
- Increasing the use of the WHO AWaRe system in antibiotic surveillance and stewardship programmes in low- and middle-income countries.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2025Review
- Antibiotic prescription sources and use among under-5 children with fever/cough in sub-Saharan Africa.International health · 2025Article
- A Narrative Review of Recent Antibiotic Prescribing Practices in Ambulatory Care in Tanzania: Findings and Implications.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2023Review
- WHO/INRUD prescribing indicators among tertiary regional referral hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: a call to strengthen antibiotic stewardship programmes.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2023Article
- Factors influencing receipt of an antibiotic prescription among insured patients in Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2022Article
- Prevalence and Predictors of Antibiotic Prescriptions at Primary Healthcare Facilities in the Dodoma Region, Central Tanzania: A Retrospective, Cross-Sectional Study.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
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Abstract
introductionhigh prevalence of antibiotic prescriptions may contribute to the problem of antibiotic resistance. Understanding the pattern of antibiotic prescriptions in a country may inform monitoring and stewardship activities, which are crucial in the fight against antibiotic resistance. We aimed to determine the prevalence and describe the pattern of antibiotic prescriptions among National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) insured patients receiving treatment at health facilities in Ilala Municipality, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
methodsa cross-sectional analysis of claim forms of NHIF insured patients. A data extraction form was used to capture data for September, 2019 submitted to the Ilala NHIF offices.
resultsamong 993 insured patients (mean [±SD] age 36.3 [±23.2] years; 581 [58.5%] females; 535 [53.9%] adults) a total of 357 (46.4%, 95% CI, 42.8-50.0) received an antibiotic prescription. Of the 357 patients who received an antibiotic prescription, 71(19.9%) received more than one antibiotic prescription. The most common antibiotic prescribed was amoxicillin/clavulanate (17.1%) followed by amoxicillin (16.5%) whereas the most commonly prescribed antibiotic class was the penicillins (51.3%) followed by the nitroimidazoles (14.0%). Among patients who received more than one antibiotic, the most commonly co-prescribed antibiotics were Ampicillin/Cloxacillin plus Metronidazole (11.4%) followed by Amoxicillin plus Metronidazole (7.1%). According to 2019 WHO Access, Watch, Reserve (AWaRe) Classification of antibiotics, 60.8% of patients received the access antibiotics, 33.3% received the watch antibiotics whereas 17.4% of patients received antibiotics that were not recommended. No patient received an antibiotic from the reserve group.
conclusionthe prevalence of antibiotic prescriptions in Tanzania is high and some antibiotics not recommended by the WHO are still prescribed. We recommend revision of the current Tanzania treatment guideline on antibiotics to reflect WHO recommendations, and further research to address local factors influencing antibiotic prescriptions is warranted.
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