ABSTRACT
Background: The National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance in Bhutan promotes the rational use of antibiotics. It is important to establish baseline data on the use of antibiotics and the quality indicators of antibiotic prescriptions to identify where improvement efforts may need to be focused. Objectives: To describe the prevalence and patterns of antibiotic prescription and establish baseline data regarding quality indicators of antibiotic prescriptions in four major hospitals in Bhutan. Methods: This was a point prevalence survey of antibiotic use among inpatients in June 2022 conducted using the Australian National Antibiotic Prescribing Survey (NAPS). Results: There were 314 patients (41.5%) receiving at least one antibiotic on the audit day. Among prescriptions reviewed, 278 (88.5%) had indications for use documented, 102 (32.5%) had a review or stop date documented and 120 (38.2%) had microbiology samples collected prior to antibiotics. Ceftriaxone (68; 21.7%), cefazolin (41; 13.1%) and metronidazole (32; 10.2%), were the common antibiotics prescribed. The most common indications for use were surgical prophylaxis (42; 13.4%), community-acquired pneumonia (39; 12.4%) and sepsis (26; 8.3%). There were 125 prescriptions (39.8%) that were compliant with national/therapeutic antibiotic guidelines and 169 (53.8%) where antibiotic prescriptions were appropriate. Conclusions: This study identified key areas for targeted interventions in antimicrobial stewardship programmes in Bhutan. The prevalence of antibiotic use, indications for use, and drug choices were similar to data from other countries. Documentation plans for durations of use, prolonged surgical prophylaxis and concordance of choices with guideline recommendations present opportunities for improvement.