Giuseppe
Emeritus
Small pharmacies are more likely to dispense antibiotics without a medical prescription than large pharmacies in Catalonia, Spain (Euro Surveill., abstract, edited)
[Source: EuroSurveillance.org, full text (LINK). Abstract, edited.]
Eurosurveillance, Volume 15, Issue 32, 12 August 2010
Research articles
Small pharmacies are more likely to dispense antibiotics without a medical prescription than large pharmacies in Catalonia, Spain
C Llor (
)<sup>1</sup>, D L Monnet<sup>2</sup>, J M Cots<sup>3</sup>
Citation style for this article: Llor C, Monnet DL, Cots JM. Small pharmacies are more likely to dispense antibiotics without a medical prescription than large pharmacies in Catalonia, Spain. Euro Surveill. 2010;15(32)
ii=19635. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19635
Date of submission: 08 March 2010
<hr>
The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between pharmacy size and the likelihood of obtaining antibiotics without medical prescription at a pharmacy. In 2008 in Catalonia, two actors presented three different cases in a randomised sample of pharmacies and asked pharmacists for an antibiotic. Pharmacies were considered as small when having limited space with only one counter and a maximum of two professionals selling medicines, as medium sized with three or four attending professionals, and as large with a large selling space and more than four attending professionals. Of the 197 pharmacies visited, 88 (44.7%) were considered as small while only 25 (12.7%) were large. Antibiotics were obtained without a medical prescription in 89 (45.2%) pharmacies, mainly in small pharmacies (63.6%), followed by medium-sized pharmacies (35.7%) and large pharmacies (12%) (p<0.001). Large pharmacies, that probably have a greater income, more closely followed the prevailing legislation of not selling antibiotics to patients without a medical prescription. This observation should now be confirmed in other countries where over-the-counter sales of antibiotics are prevalent and should be taken into account by programmes aiming at achieving a more prudent use of antibiotics.
-
------
[Source: EuroSurveillance.org, full text (LINK). Abstract, edited.]
Eurosurveillance, Volume 15, Issue 32, 12 August 2010
Research articles
Small pharmacies are more likely to dispense antibiotics without a medical prescription than large pharmacies in Catalonia, Spain
C Llor (
- Primary Healthcare Centre Jaume I, Tarragona, Spain
- Scientific Advice Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
- Primary Healthcare Centre La Marina, Barcelona, Spain
Citation style for this article: Llor C, Monnet DL, Cots JM. Small pharmacies are more likely to dispense antibiotics without a medical prescription than large pharmacies in Catalonia, Spain. Euro Surveill. 2010;15(32)
ii=19635. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19635 Date of submission: 08 March 2010
<hr>
The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between pharmacy size and the likelihood of obtaining antibiotics without medical prescription at a pharmacy. In 2008 in Catalonia, two actors presented three different cases in a randomised sample of pharmacies and asked pharmacists for an antibiotic. Pharmacies were considered as small when having limited space with only one counter and a maximum of two professionals selling medicines, as medium sized with three or four attending professionals, and as large with a large selling space and more than four attending professionals. Of the 197 pharmacies visited, 88 (44.7%) were considered as small while only 25 (12.7%) were large. Antibiotics were obtained without a medical prescription in 89 (45.2%) pharmacies, mainly in small pharmacies (63.6%), followed by medium-sized pharmacies (35.7%) and large pharmacies (12%) (p<0.001). Large pharmacies, that probably have a greater income, more closely followed the prevailing legislation of not selling antibiotics to patients without a medical prescription. This observation should now be confirmed in other countries where over-the-counter sales of antibiotics are prevalent and should be taken into account by programmes aiming at achieving a more prudent use of antibiotics.
-
------