Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Antibiotic Utilisation in Malaysian Primary Care Clinics: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a dramatic change in the delivery of primary healthcare across the world, presumably changing trends in consultations for infectious diseases and antibiotic use. This study aimed at describing and evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on antibiotic use in public primary care clinics in Malaysia between 2018 and 2021. Data from the nationwide procurement database of systemic antibiotics from public primary care clinics in Malaysia between January 2018 and December 2021 were analysed using interrupted time series analysis. The monthly number of defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID) was calculated and grouped by antibiotic class. The trend of antibiotic utilisation rates had been decreasing by 0.007 DID monthly before March 2020 (p = 0.659).

SUBMITTER: Lim A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10135109 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature