Rational prescribing of antibiotics in children under 5 years with upper respiratory tract infections in Kintampo Municipal Hospital in Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the rational use of antibiotics in children with URTIs in the Kintampo Municipal Hospital in Ghana. RESULTS: A total of 839 medicines were prescribed, 237 were antibiotics. The mean number of medicines prescribed per patient encounter was 3.1. The percentage of patient encounters with antibiotics was 28.2 and 0.4% for injections. The percentage of medicines prescribed by generic was 93.8% and from the essential medicines list was 94.9%. Ninety-two of patients received amoxicillin. Polypharmacy was common as prescriptions with five to six medicines per patient encounter was found. Some prescribers are not following the WHO/INRUD requirement of prescribing medicines in their generic and from the essential medicine list of the country.