Drug Utilization and Cost Analysis of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) Treatments at Soedirman Primary Clinic

Abstract

Background: Acute Respiratory Tract Infections (ARTI) are one of the leading causes of patient visits to primary healthcare centers (40-60%), with inappropriate medication use often leading to wasteful therapy costs. Klinik Pratama Soedirman reports ARTI as the highest outpatient diagnosis, yet there has been no comprehensive evaluation of prescribing patterns and therapy costs. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the prescribing patterns of medications and their impact on ARTI therapy costs at Klinik Pratama Soedirman during the period from March to August 2024. Methods: A descriptive analytic study with a cross-sectional design was conducted using secondary data in the form of ARTI patients' medical records and financial reports from Klinik Pratama Soedirman. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate methods. Key findings: Among the 277 samples analyzed, ARTI therapy with antibiotics had an average cost per prescription of IDR 19,086.76 ± 4,798.39, while prescriptions without antibiotics averaged IDR 15,508.62 ± 5,509.55, with a p-value of 0.000. Prescriptions without antibiotics showed an average cost of supportive therapy with steroids of IDR 14,184.78 ± 4,977.01 and without steroids of IDR 15,750.00 ± 7,337.64, with a p-value of 0.855. Meanwhile, ARTI therapy with antibiotics had an average cost of supportive therapy with steroids of IDR 19,064.17 ± 4,525.45 and without steroids of IDR 19,218.75 ± 6,246.21, with a p-value of 0.631. Conclusions: There is a difference in therapy costs between ARTI prescriptions with and without antibiotics, but no difference in therapy costs between prescriptions with and without steroids in ARTI patients at Klinik Pratama Soedirman.