Do specialists give special antibiotic treatment?

The use of antibiotics is increasing with increasing ecological and economic problems as a consequence. In Denmark, antibiotics are prescribed by doctors and in order to intervene, it is important to know details about prescription habits. Danish patients are referred to specialists by their general practitioner when further investigation or treatment is needed. In one week in 1988, 180 specialists (60%) participated in a study registering all prescriptions made by these specialists. Only 3.2 patients per specialist were treated with antibiotics. The infections were mainly of the upper respiratory tract, the skin, or gynecological. The prescribed daily dosages (PDD) did not differ from those given by the general practitioners, but the specialists used significantly less penicillin and significantly more erythromycin, tetracycline or local antibiotics. Compared with the general practitioners the specialists in Denmark only prescribed approximately 10% of the total amount of antibiotics used outside the hospitals. Their contribution to the potential ecological and economic problems caused by antibiotics in Denmark is limited.