Antitussive prescription in Primary Care pediatricians of the Basque Country

Introduction: cough is a frequent complaint in Pediatrics that carries a significant consumption of antitussives, by prescription or by over the counter (OTC) drugs, although the effectiveness of these drugs is not clearly proven.

Objectives: to assess the prescription profile of cough medicines by primary care pediatricians of the Basque Country and the perception of the use of OTC cough medicines by families.

Material and methods: structured survey. Took part 77 primary care pediatricians of the Basque Country (Alava 36, Bizkaia 28 and Gipuzkoa 13).

Results: twenty-five (32.5%) pediatricians do not use antitussives and 52 (67.5%) use them normally. The most prescribed antitussives were: dextromethorphan 41 (78.8%), codeine 34 (65.4%) and cloperastine 34 (65.4%). The reasons for prescribing were colds 47 (90.4%), laryngitis 14 (26.9%), rhinitis 7 (13%) and bronchitis 3 (6%). Other treatments were honey 16 (20.8%), herbal therapy 6 (7.8%) and 6 homeopathy (7.8%).

Conclusions: the prescription of antitussives is common in primary care pediatricians of the Basque Country. Dextromethorphan is the most prescribed medication. The cold is the most common cause for prescribing cough suppressants. OTC antitussive medications seems not be commonly used by families.