Pattern of antibiotic use in a trachoma-endemic region of Nepal: implications for mass azithromycin distribution.

PURPOSE: To investigate antibiotic utilization in a rural district of western Nepal that is currently receiving azithromycin as part of a trachoma program and is being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for drug resistance.

METHODS

Antibiotic purchase receipts were collected for 3 months from all medicine halls, pharmacies, and government sub-health posts in a sub-district of Western Nepal. Supplementary surveys of antibiotic sales were performed in different seasons.

RESULTS

Macrolides account for 3.9% of total antibiotic use, far less than quinolones, penicillins, tetracyclines, and sulfonamides.

CONCLUSIONS

If trachoma programs in Western Nepal generate transient macrolide resistance in pneumococcus and other bacteria, the epidemiological impact may not be great, as macrolides are not commonly used in the area.