‘Happy Audit’ –ll South America

Working Together Across Borders to Curb the Development of Antibiotic Resistance

Excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics is associated with the increase and development of drug resistant microorganisms. In 2008, the EU-funded intervention project ‘Happy Audit’ “Health Alliance for Prudent Prescribing, Yield And Use of Antimicrobial Drugs In the Treatment of Respiratory Tract Infection” was launched.

The aim of the project was to promote proper use of antibiotics across six countries with very different consumption of antibiotics and different patterns of resistant strains. WONCA Europe was partner in ‘Happy Audit’ and facilitated dissemination of the results.

In countries such as Argentina and Spain the intervention had a very positive impact on lowering the inappropriate use of antibiotics, especially for patients suffering from acute bronchitis, sinusitis and pharyngitis.

Following the success of the first intervention, the societies of family medicine from Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay in partnership with the Department of General Practice at the University of Copenhagen, plan to launch a new intervention project in June 2014: ‘Happy Audit’ -II South America.   (espanol)
We plan to investigate factors that may influence the decision about antibiotic prescribing in patients with a suspected respiratory tract infection. These data will be analyzed to identify potential quality problems in each country. Afterwards, an intervention focused on health professionals and patients’ education with special emphasis on the contextual quality problems will be implemented. The impact of the intervention will be assessed in June-August 2015.

We aim to improve the quality of antibiotic prescription as well as to set the basis for establishing research networks at primary care level in Latin America, which in turn will reflect a better provision of health care services for the patients.

The steering group looks forward to hearing from WONCA members, who could have suggestions about logistics, fundraising and research/implementation methodology.

You are welcome to contact:
Global Coordinator of HAPPY AUDIT: Professor Lars Bjerrum, GP Phd , Copenhagen University, Denmark. lbjerrum@sund.ku.dk
Coordinator of HAPPY AUDIT-II SOUTH AMERICA: Lidia Caballero, GP , Posadas, Argentina. lijo@arnet.com.ar

On behalf of the steering group;
Gloria Córdoba MD-MPH, Phd fellow, Copenhagen University, Denmark gloriac@sund.ku.dk