Prescription pattern of drugs among general dentists in north India

Background and Aim: Clinicians do prescribe antibiotics for either prophylactic or therapeutic reasons. Inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics by health care professionals is a worldwide concern. The decision of when and what to prescribe leaves room for misuse and therefore it is imperative to continuously monitor knowledge and pattern of prescription. In recent years, dentists have reported a shift from narrow-spectrum to broad-spectrum antibiotic prescriptions due to increasing antibiotic resistance. Irrational prescription of antibiotics by clinicians might lead to drug resistance. The aim of this present study is to investigate the prescribing patterns of the therapeutic and prophylactic use for antibiotics in various dental situations by dental practitioners. Materials and Method: This study utilized a questionnaire which was designed to investigate the antibiotic prescribing patterns by dental practitioners in the North India region. A structured and pretested questionnaire was sent to 200 dental health care practitioners by post or physical delivery or by email. Result: A total of 200 dentists responding to the questionnaire, more than 70% would prescribe antibiotics for localized fluctuant swelling and for problems for which antibiotics are not required according to good practice guidelines (acute pulpitis, chronic apical infection, periodontal abscess, chronic gingivitis, chronic periodontitis, pericoronitis and dry socket). Amoxicillin was the most frequently prescribed antibiotic for all clinical conditions but there was a wide variation in dosage, frequency and duration for all antibiotics used Conclusion: The knowledge of dental health care practitioners in antibiotic use in this study was generally low so, this study concludes that there is a clear need for the development of prescribing guidelines, regular monitoring of antibiotic prescriptions by dental practitioners and educational initiatives to encourage the rational and appropriate use of the antibiotics