Restricted antibiotic use in the clinical center of montenegro.

Background: In this century, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) presents a major public health problem, because it is a leading cause of death worldwide. Antimicrobial resistance is caused by the overprescription of antibiotics as well as self-medication. In 2010, antibiotics were the most commonly prescribed medications according to the Montenegrin Institute of Public Health. To reduce side effects, improve treatment efficacy, and prevent AMR, it is necessary to have greater control and help formulating national and international level policies over antibiotic prescription and their use.

Aims: This research focuses on the analysis of requests for the dispensing of reserve antibiotics and the justification of their prescription and use.

Materials and methods: In the Clinical Center of Montenegro, 174 requests for restricted antibiotics were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Data analysis of 174 requests for restricted antibiotics determined that an antibiogram has been performed in only 21.84% of cases, which means that there were 78.16% of cases of empirical antibiotic use. In 72.25% of cases, restricted antibiotics were included in therapy without prior use of unrestricted antimicrobial therapy.

Conclusions: Based on data analytics, it can be concluded that using restricted antibiotics in therapy is not completely in line with rational antibiotics implementation. Restricted antibiotics are used without culture sensitivity tests in more than 2/3rd of cases. Similarly, restricted antibiotics were used as first-line therapy.