DRUG UTILIZATION PROFILE IN A LARGE OUT-HOSPITAL ITALIAN CHILDREN POPULATION

Key words: Pharmacoepidemiology, Pharmacoeconomics, Child, Primary care, National health service

Objective: to evaluate the pattern of drug prescription reimbursed by the national health system in the Italian paediatric population. Prescriptions involving 982.035 children <14 years old, dispensed during 2003 by the retail pharmacies of 24 Italian local health units participating in the ARNO project, were analysed. A total of 620.239 children (63%) received at least a drug prescription. The prescription prevalence rate is highest in children 1 year old and decreases with increasing age and it is higher in male. The antimicrobial for systemic use (main anatomical group J in the ATC classification) and respiratory drugs are the more prescribed drugs. Antibiotics and anti-asthmatics represent 80% of prescriptions. Amoxicillin + clavulanic acid is the most prescribed drug (22% of children; 9% of boxes) and the drug with the highest expenditure (5.1 million € ; 11% of the total expenditure). Despite some limitations (only prescriptions for reimbursed drug were evaluated; the disease for which drug are prescribed is lacking), the ARNO database, is a precious tool for evaluating the profiles of major drug utilizations and expenditures and therapeutical needs. The analysis of data confirms precedent findings: much drugs are prescribed, belonging to few therapeutic classes, and without evidence based indication.