The antibiotics prescription in public health service of a city in São Paulo state, Brazil

The prescription of medicaments is variable due to many factors as the prevalence and incidence morbiditie’, the prescriptors’knowledge and the economic, social and sanitary conditions in community. This situation justifies and demands studies about this thematic. The aim of this study was to know the characteristics of the prescription of antibiotics for children with zero to five years taking care in a health primary care unit in a small city in  São Paulo state, Brazil. Method: The data was collected  from registers in health service between  July and August of 2008. In this period 173 children received the prescription of at least an antibiotic and were included in this study. Results: The oldest children received more antibiotic than the younger. The amidallitis was the cause of the 53% of antibiotic prescriptions, followed by otitis, responsible by 22% of prescriptions. The amoxicillin was prescribed in 84% of prescriptions. This drug was prescribed associated with injectable penicillin in 20% of prescriptions, what it is not therapeutically justified and it increases the risk of intoxications. The antitermic more prescribed in association with antibiotics was ibuprofen. Ambroxol was prescribed with amoxicillin in 60% of prescriptions. Conclusions: The prevalence of amidallitis and the existence of a essencials medicaments list with few options in the health service can be the reasons for the high prescription of amoxicillin. Other penicillin derivatives have been prescribed associated with amoxicillin and, addicionally this antibiotic has been prescribed for use by elevated number of days.