Assessing Antimicrobial Consumption in Public and Private Sectors within the Costa Rican Health System: Current Status and Future Directions

Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance is a significant global health threat. Therefore, robust monitoring systems for antimicrobial consumption (AMC) are essential to develop public health strategies. However, Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, face challenges in regularly reporting AMC data. This study aims to estimate and analyze the overall AMC in Costa Rica for 2019. Methods Adhering to WHO methodology, the study employs the ATC/DDD system to analyze variables such as types of antimicrobials, Defined Daily Doses (DDD), and DDD/1000 inhabit-ants/day (DID). Results The investigation reveals a total AMC of 14.32 DID, with the public sector accounting for 12.75 DID and the private sector for 4.12 DID. Penicillin emerges as the most consumed group globally and in the public sector, while macrolides and lincosamides predominate in the private sector. According to the WHO-AWaRe classification, antibiotics predominantly consumed in the global and public sectors are categorized under Access, whereas the private sector predominates the Watch category. Conclusion In conclusion, the study highlights the need for coordinated actions to reduce the irrational consumption of antimicrobials. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of the active participation of all sectors and regulatory authorities for the development and implementation of effective and multisectoral policies.