ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Medical misuse of antibiotics is associated with the acquisition and spread of antibiotic resistance, resulting in a lack of effective drugs and increased health-care cost. Nevertheless, inappropriate antibiotic use in China remains common and the situation requires urgent improvement. Here, we analyzed the prescriptions of antibiotics and evaluated the rationality of antibiotic use among outpatients in Beijing general hospitals during 2015.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected basic medical insurance claim data from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015 in 507 general hospitals of Beijing. A descriptive analysis of outpatient antibiotic prescribing was performed. The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification/defined daily doses system was used to evaluate the rationality of antibiotic use.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Over the study, an estimated 721,930, 613,520, and 822,480 antibiotics were dispensed in primary, secondary, and tertiary general hospitals corresponding to 5.09%, 5.06%, and 2.53% of all prescriptions, respectively. Antibiotic combinations represented 2.95%, 7.74%, and 10.18% of the total antibiotic prescriptions, respectively. Expenditure for the top twenty antibiotics in primary, secondary, and tertiary general hospitals was RMB 42.92, 65.89, and 83.26 million Yuan, respectively. Cephalosporins were the most frequently prescribed class of antibiotic in clinical practice. The antibiotics used inappropriately included azithromycin enteric-coated capsules, compound cefaclor tablets and nifuratel nysfungin vaginal soft capsules in primary hospitals, amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium dispersible tablets (7:1) and cefonicid sodium for injection in secondary hospitals, cefminox sodium for injection and amoxicillin sodium and sulbactam sodium for injection in tertiary hospitals.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Antibiotic use in Beijing general hospitals is generally low; however, inappropriate antibiotic use still exists. Inappropriately used antibiotics should be subject to rigorous control and management, and public policy initiatives are required to promote the judicious use of antibiotics.</p>