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Deprescribing is a planned, systematic process supervised by a healthcare professional. It is considered to be a fundamental part of good prescribing. Deprescribing can be defined as the complete withdrawal of medications as well as dose reduction. The patient's health status, life expectancy, values, preferences and the therapeutic goals should be given serious consideration while planning the deprescribing process. The main objective of deprescribing may vary but reaching the patients' goals and improving their quality of life remain constant priorities. In our article, based on the international literature, we review potential deprescribing targets such as the characteristics of high-risk patients, medications that should prompt a therapy review and the ideal settings for deprescribing. We also cover the steps, risks and benefits of the process, and discuss the existing specific guidelines and algorithms. We provide information on the enablers and barriers of deprescribing among both patients and healthcare professionals, and discuss international initiatives as well as the future of deprescribing. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(24): 931-941.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: Az antibiotikumok észszerű alkalmazása kulcsfontosságú a hatékonyságuk megőrzésében és a néhol kritikus méreteket öltő antibiotikumrezisztencia visszaszorításában. Célkitűzés: A hazai ambuláns antibiotikumfelhasználás jellemzőinek, trendjeinek bemutatása. Módszer: A 2010 és 2019 közötti időszakra vonatkozó, dobozszámban kifejezett ambuláns szisztémás antibiotikumfelhasználási adatokat - a WHO 2019. évi indexe alapján - "defined daily dose" (DDD - napi átlagdózis) egységbe konvertáltuk. Standardizált technikai egységünk a DDD/1000 fő/nap volt (DID). Az antibiotikumfelhasználás értékelésére nemzetközileg elfogadott minőségi indikátorokat alkalmaztunk. Eredmények: Az antibiotikumfelhasználás mértéke kismértékű ingadozást mutatott (min.: 12,9 DID, max.: 14,7 DID), viszont a szezonális ingadozás a teljes megfigyelt időszakban jelentős mértékű volt. A széles versus szűk spektrumú béta-laktámok és makrolidek felhasználási hányadosa évről évre tovább emelkedett (2010: 13,3 vs. 2019: 71,6), a fluorokinolonok alkalmazási aránya továbbra is meghatározó (2010: 14,3%, 2019: 14,5%). A vizsgált 12 minőségi indikátor közül a tanulmány nyitó évében 4, a tanulmány záró évében 6 indikátor esetében a legkedvezőtlenebbül teljesítő európai országok közé tartoztunk. Megbeszélés: A hazai antibiotikumalkalmazás mértéke európai mérce szerint nem magas, de csökkentésére látszik lehetőség; mintázata szuboptimális, és az évek során kedvezőtlen irányba változott. Következtetés: A kapott antibiotikumfelhasználási adatok s azok értelmezése alapján rendkívül sürgető morális kötelesség a szakmai és hatósági intervenciókra épülő hazai antibiotikumstratégia és -akcióterv mielőbbi kidolgozása, implementálása. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(4): 140-149., Introduction: Prudent antibiotic use is an important tool to preserve their effectiveness as well as reverse and confine antibiotic resistance., Objective: To evaluate the trends and characteristics of Hungarian outpatient antibiotic use., Methods: Crude, package level antibiotic sales data for the period 2010-2019 were converted into DDD (defined daily dose) and were standardized for 1000 inhabitants and per year (ATC-DDD index, version 2019). Internationally validated drug-specific quality indicators were used to evaluate antibiotic use., Results: The scale of antibiotic use was stagnating with minimal fluctuation (min.: 12.9 DID, max.: 14.7 DID), and with high intra-year seasonality index. The ratio of the consumption of broad to narrow spectrum beta-lactams and macrolides increased gradually from year to year (2010: 13.3 vs. 2019: 71.6) and the relative consumption of fluoroquinolones is still remarkable (2010: 14.3%, 2019: 14.5%). Out of the twelve surveyed drug-specific quality indicators in the first and last year of analysis, we were ranked among the weakest European countries in the case of four and six indicators, respectively., Discussion: The scale of Hungarian outpatient antibiotic use is not high, in European comperison, but has some reserve capacity for reduction. The pattern of Hungarian antibiotic use is suboptimal and had further decreased quality through the years., Conclusion: Based on the recorded data of antibiotic use and their interpretation, the development of national antibiotic strategy (including both professional and authority interventions) is a pressing moral obligation. Orv Hetil. 2021; 163(4): 140-149.

Introduction: Growing bacterial resistance threatens public health, which can be tempered by prudent antibiotic use., Aim: To quantify systemic antibacterial use in Hungarian hospitals., Method: Consumption data were analysed using the Anatomical-Therapeutic-Chemical - Defined Daily Dose (ATC/DDD) methodology. Data were standardized for patient turnover and also for population to enable international benchmarking., Results: Hospital antibiotic use was quite constant (22.4 ± 1.5 DDD/100 patient-days), but its composition changed substantially. The use of parenteral products rose gradually (in 1996 26.4% and in 2015 41.6%). The pattern of use was homogenised due to the headway of co-amoxiclav use. A substantial increase of fluoroquinolone (2.3 vs. 4.2 DDD/100 patient-days) and third generation cephalosporin (1.0 vs. 2.9 DDD/100 patient-days) use was detected. In parallel the use of narrow spectra penicillins diminished., Conclusion: Hungarian hospital antibiotic use is low. The causes and the justification of this low use together with the internationally outstanding use of certain antibacterials should be addressed in future studies. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(46), 1839-1846.

Introduction: Urinary tract infections are one of the common diseases in the primary health care., Aim: To analyse patterns of ambulatory antibiotic use in acute cystitis., Method: Antibiotic use data was based on national-level prescription turnovers. Patterns of antibiotic use were evaluated by prescribing quality indicators. The content of different national guidelines for treatment of acute cystitis and adherence to these guidelines were also evaluated., Results: For the treatment of acute cystitis quinolones were used predominantly. Norfloxacin (26%) and ciprofloxacin (19%) were prescribed most commonly. The use of internationally recommended agents such as sulphonamides, nitrofurans and fosfomycin shared 15%, 7% and 2%, respectively. The average adherence rate to national guidelines was 66% and certain weak points (e.g. controversial content) of the national guidelines were also identified., Conclusions: Antibiotic use in acute cystitis seems to be suboptimal in Hungary. Considering actual local antibiotic resistance patterns, a new national guideline should be worked out for acute cystitis treatment.

Introduction: Rational use of antibiotics is an important tool in combating antibiotic resistance., Aim: The aim of the authors was to evaluate the quality of ambulatory antibiotic use in Hungary., Method: Crude antibiotic sales data for the period between 1996 and 2010 were converted into DDD (Defined Daily Dose) per 1000 inhabitants and per year. The recently developed and validated drug-specific quality indicators were used to evaluate antibiotic use., Results: Beside constant quantity (18.0±1.8 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day), the authors detected major changes in the composition of antibiotic use. Ratios of the consumption of broad to narrow spectrum beta-lactams and macrolides increased eight-fold (1996: 2.2 vs. 2010: 15.8) and consumption of fluoroquinolones tripled. Out of the ten surveyed drug-specific quality indicators, Hungary belonged to the European elite in case of three, while considering the remaining seven, Hungary ranked among the weak or weakest European countries., Conclusion: In quantity Hungary an ambulatory antibiotic use resembles to Scandinavian countries while it mimics antibiotic consumption patterns of southern countries.

For the effective treatment of patients with infectious diseases in intensive care units, reliable microbiological diagnoses and correct evaluations of results by expert infectious disease specialists/microbiologists are indispensable. A 97-question survey was conducted about the antibiotic policy, the available background of the microbiological diagnoses and the consultation possibilities in infectious diseases/microbiology at intensive care units in Hungary. Sixty-two percent (60/96) of questionnaires were returned. Of these units, 55% had a microbiological laboratory in-house. Microbiological reports usually serve as basis for the choice of antibiotic treatment. It is an undesirable practice that during working days and during week-ends the proportions of positive microbiological reports sent back to the wards within the optimal time are only 50% and <20%, respectively. Helpful opinion of an expert infectious disease specialist or microbiologist was available in >90% of the cases during working hours, while out of working hours the help of an infectious disease specialist and a microbiologist specialist was available in 70% and 55% of the cases, respectively. Almost half of the units requested the help of an infectious disease specialist whereas only one-third of them turned to a microbiologist. Accordingly, the background for microbiological laboratory diagnoses available for intensive care units is far from optimal in Hungary and is not adequately stipulated in their working conditions.

The present paper describes the antibiotic related activities of Hungarian adult intensive care units (ICUs) and their parent hospitals, specially focusing on the role of hospital pharmacists. Information was gathered by a structured questionnaire, which was sent to the head of ICU departments by post and by email. The multidisciplinary team of authors developed and validated the questions. Results were compared to recommendations set up by the Antibiotic Resistance Prevention And Control (ARPAC) project. Minimal requirements appointed by the ARPAC have not been fulfilled by many aspects: multidisciplinary hospital commitees were not realized and the activity of these committees in antibiotic guideline developments was not satisfactory. Continuous education and calculation of standardized antibiotic use was rarely performed at ICUs. The role of pharmacist remained marginal in every field. All these findings suggest the need for appointment of a responsible, multidisciplinary antibiotic manamement team including also a pharmacist.

The present paper describes one special field of the Hungarian ambulatory care antibiotic consumption: it focuses on the non-reimbursed antibiotic use and interprets it by using different measurement units, including the WHO recommended DDD per 1000 inhabitants and per day. The most commonly dispensed active agents belonged to the penicillin, tetracycline or sulfonamide antibacterial groups. Although the non-reimbursed antibiotic use increased during the study period, it was still low in 2004, representing approximately 2% of total Hungarian ambulatory care antibiotic use. Our study also revealed interregional differences in the non-reimbursed antibiotic use, which was outstanding in some western Hungarian counties.

Aims: To describe the qualitative and quantitative changes of antibiotic consumption in Hungarian hospitals and in the primary care setting between 1996 and 2003., Methods: Sales data relating to community and hospital care antibiotic consumption were obtained for the 8 years period of 1996-2003. The 2003 version of the world health organisation (WHO) anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC)/ defined daily dose (DDD) system was used for calculations and the 2005 version for classifications. The final expression units were DDD/100 bed-days and DDD/1000 inhabitants/day for hospital and community care utilization, respectively. Trend analysis was applied to assess the annual changes in antimicrobial consumption., Results: The total antibiotic consumption in the community setting and in the hospitals remained relatively stable during the study period. The average antibiotic consumption in the community setting (20.20 +/- 1.42 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day was in line with the European average, while the national average hospital antibiotic consumption (24.81 +/- 1.69 DDD/ 100 bed-days) was very low in international benchmark. Changes in the pattern of antibiotic consumption was observed in both settings. Internationally outstanding consumption of penicillins plus beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations (J01CR) and sulphonamides and extremely low utilisation of beta lactamase resistant penicillins (J01CF) were detected. The hospital antibiotic consumption was characterized by extended use of sulphonamides, tetracyclines, and second generation cephalosporins., Conclusions: The low hospital consumption of antibiotics and the internationally extreme usage of certain antibiotic groups needs further pharmacoepidemiologic analysis.

The importance of antibiotic consumption and bacterial resistance analysis is unquestionable. Although the WHO has been recommending the use of ATC/DDD method for the analysis of drug utilization for about 20 years, only limited numbers of publications are available considering the antibiotic consumption of in-patients. In the present study--with the help of the mentioned method--we analysed the utilization of antibiotics in 5 clinical departments. We also investigated the connection between antibiotic consumption, bacterial resistance and enterococcal sepsis at the haematologic department. We could follow the successful impact of the implementation of the new guideline.