[Dispensation and cost of antimicrobials in Spain (1998-2000)].

The aim of this study was to analyze the dispensation of anti-infectives for systemic use, excluding immune sera and immunoglobulins and vaccines, made in all of Spain's pharmaceutical offices in a two-year period and to analyze their pharmacological cost. A retrospective pharmacoepidemiological study was made of dispensations in Spain's pharmaceutical offices for medicines belonging to the J01, J02, J04 and J05 subgroups. The dispensations were quantified as defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DID). The economic cost of the dispensing was expressed in absolute terms and as CID (cost per 1,000 inhabitants per day). The total DID of anti-infective drugs was 32.11 (30.70 for antibacterials, 0.53 antimycotics, 0.73 for antimicrobacterials and 0.16 for antivirals). In the J01 subgroup the most frequently used were penicillins, macrolides, cephalosporins and quinolones. And the most frequently used drugs were amoxicillin, amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, clarithromycin, cefuroxime axetil and ciprofloxacin. The total cost was 1,403,462,770 euros, and the CID was 47.18 euros.