Monitoring community antibiotic consumption in Belgium: reimbursement versus retail data (2013-22).

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

In Belgium, monitoring antibiotic consumption relies on reimbursement data, which is obtained with a time delay and does not account for over-the-counter or nonreimbursed products. This study aims to bridge this gap by comparing reimbursement and retail data for primary care to understand variations and assess the accuracy of current surveillance methods.

Method

Reimbursement data were obtained from the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance, and retail data were obtained from IQVIA for the period 2013-22. The community consumption of systemic antibiotics was expressed in defined daily doses (DDD-WHO ATC/DDD Index 2023) per inhabitants per day (DID). Relative differences in DID (RDs) based on the two data sets were computed and valid

SUBMITTER: Damian E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11695903 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature