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AuthorAl-Nuaimi, Salma
AuthorAlkuwari, Sara
AuthorAl-Jubouri, Abdullah M.
AuthorHegazi, Salma
AuthorJolo, Lolwa
AuthorKhalid, Hafsa
AuthorBossa, Saoud
AuthorAl-Shirawi, Eisa
AuthorAlex, Merin
AuthorElawad, Khalid H.
AuthorFarooqui, Habib H.
AuthorZughaier, Susu M.
Available date2023-11-19T05:45:34Z
Publication Date2023
Publication NameAntibiotics
ResourceScopus
ISSN20796382
URIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12081228
URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10576/49431
AbstractBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been associated with an increased risk of secondary bacterial infections. Numerous studies have reported a surge in antibiotic usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the frequency and patterns of antibiotic prescriptions at Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) in Qatar, comparing the period before and during the pandemic. Methods: This population-based, cross-sectional study analyzed all antibiotic prescriptions issued in two-month intervals before COVID-19 (November and December 2019) and during the initial wave (June and July 2020) of COVID-19. The study included 27 PHCCs in Qatar. Results: Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the PHCCs dispensed a total of 74,909 antibiotic prescriptions in November and December. During the first wave of COVID-19, the number decreased to 29,273 prescriptions in June and July 2020. Antibiotics were most commonly prescribed for adults and least commonly for the elderly, both before and during the COVID-19 period. In the pre-COVID-19 period, Betalactams and macrolides accounted for the majority (73%) of all antibiotic prescriptions across all age groups. However, during the COVID-19 period, Betalactams and other antibiotics such as Nitrofurantoin and Metronidazole (73%) were the most frequently prescribed. Conclusion: The rate of antibiotic prescriptions during the first wave of COVID-19 was lower compared to the two months preceding the pandemic at the PHCC in Qatar.
Languageen
PublisherMDPI
Subjectantibiotic
COVID-19
prescription pattern
primary healthcare
Qatar
TitleAntibiotics Prescriptions Pattern among Patients Visiting Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study from Qatar
TypeArticle
Issue Number8
Volume Number12
dc.accessType Open Access


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