The impact of China’s national essential medicine system on improving rational drug use in primary health care facilities: an empirical study in four provinces

Table 4 Prescriptions by number of antibiotics per prescription, 2009 and 2010

No. of antibiotics per prescription	Prescriptions, N (%)^Δ		RD (95% CI)
No. of antibiotics per prescription	2009	2010	RD (95% CI)
No antibiotics	5191(39.74)	5612(41.52)	+1.78 (+0.60, +2.96)
With antibiotics	7871(60.26)	7904(58.48)	-1.78 (-2.96, -0.60)
1	5450(41.72)	5403(39.97)	-1.75 (-3.28, -0.22)
2	2149(16.45)	2195(16.24)	-0.21 (-1.36, +0.94)
≥3	272(2.08)	306(2.26)	+0.18 (-0.27, +0.63)

Note: RD = the difference of proportion between the years; CI=confidence interval.
^Δ= There is statistically significant difference (p <0.05) in proportion distributions of prescriptions by number of antibiotics between 2009 and 2010.

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