Analysis of the Use Effect of Antibacterial Drugs in the Department of Pediatrics under the National Centralized Drug Procurement

Objective: To investigate the impact of the National Centralized Drug Procurement (NCDP) policy on the utilization patterns and safety of antibacterial drugs in pediatric patients. Methods: Data on antibacterial drug use and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) from 2021 (pre-NCDP implementation) and 2024 (post-NCDP implementation) were extracted from the pediatric department of Suqian First Hospital. Key indicators analyzed included: defined daily doses per capita, daily drug cost per capita, antimicrobial use density, proportion of NCDP drugs in total antibacterial varieties and consumption, and ADR incidence. Results: The proportion of NCDP antibacterial varieties increased significantly from 12.90% (2021) to 78.94% (2024), and their consumption share rose from 10.80% to 68.85% (both P < 0.001). The daily drug cost per capita decreased by 36.1% (from 85.9 to 54.9), and antimicrobial use density decreased by 11.8 (from 40.9 to 29.1). No significant differences were observed in defined daily doses per capita (1.6 vs. 1.9) or ADR incidence (0.53% vs. 0.47%, P > 0.05). Conclusion: The NCDP policy effectively reduced the economic burden of pediatric antibacterial therapy, optimized prescribing patterns without compromising safety, and supported the rational use of antibiotics in children. These findings underscore the policy’s role in promoting cost-effective of pediatric infections.