Drug therapy for ambulatory pediatric patients in 1979.

Little data are available on the use of drugs in children on an outpatient basis. Therefore, the present study investigated national patterns in the prescribing of drugs for children by office-based physicians during 1979, in order to describe the most commonly encountered pediatric drug therapies. The data are presented as descriptive norms of drug therapy by office-based physicians in two pediatric subgroups, 0 to 2 years old and 3 to 9 years old. Anti-infective drugs and cough and cold preparations accounted for approximately 50% of drugs used. Tetracycline and its congeners continue to be used in pediatric patients. Despite apparent advantages of amoxicillin, ampicillin is still widely used.