# Prevalence and Patterns of Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing by Brazilian Dentists for Pediatric Patients: A Cross‐Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study examines the frequency of inappropriate drug prescriptions by Brazilian dentists for children, finding that antibiotics like azithromycin are commonly prescribed in risky ways.

## Contribution

The study provides the first national assessment of potentially inappropriate prescribing patterns by Brazilian dentists for pediatric patients using SNGPC data.

## Key findings

- Antibiotics accounted for 41.2% of risky prescriptions, with azithromycin being the most commonly prescribed.
- The Southeast region had the highest frequency of both total and risky prescriptions.
- Males and neonates/infants received more risky prescriptions compared to other groups.

## Abstract

Pediatric drug prescriptions raise significant safety concerns, particularly when potentially inappropriate medications are involved. This study is aimed at identifying and evaluating the frequency of antimicrobial and psychotropic medications considered potentially inappropriate when prescribed by dentists to children and adolescents in Brazil. A cross‐sectional study was conducted using secondary data from the National System for Controlled Products Management (SNGPC) between December 2020 and November 2021. To assess the frequency of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), medications were classified according to the Key Potentially Inappropriate Drugs in Pediatrics (KIDs′ List). Data were organized in Excel and analyzed descriptively. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% CI, adjusted for age and gender. Analyses were performed in SPSS Version 29.0. A total of 204,026 dental prescriptions for individuals under 18 years of age were recorded over the 12 months. The overall prescription rate of risky medication was 2.2 per 10,000 pediatric patients. Among the risky prescriptions, antibiotics were the most frequently dispensed, accounting for 41.2%, with azithromycin being the most commonly prescribed (68.5%). The Southeast region showed the highest frequency of both total and risky prescriptions. Males and neonates/infants received a higher number of risky prescriptions. These findings underscore the urgent need for personalized clinical guidelines for pediatric dental prescribing in Brazil. Promoting the rational use of medications in this population is essential to minimizing ADRs and improving patient safety.