Prescription pattern in public specialized dental care centers in Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the most common drugs prescribed by dentists and the indicators related to rational drug use. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in which 189 interviews were carried out from August 2015 to June 2016 with patients who received drug prescriptions at specialized dental care centers in a city in southern Brazil. A specific data sheet was used, with questions regarding: age and gender of the patient, dental specialty in which the care occurred, and prescription drugs and their respective dosage regimen. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test (p <0.05). From the total of interviews, it was observed that 92.1% of patients received written medication prescriptions. Of these prescriptions, 38.5% had some type of antibiotic for systemic use. Acetaminophen was the most prescribed drug (33.4%), followed by amoxicillin (19.7%). The mean number of medications per prescription was 1.75, and 17.4% of the prescriptions did not indicate the dosage regimen. Our findings indicate a high incidence of prescribed antibiotics and non-compliance with regulatory agency guidance in prescriptions at the centers evaluated.