<![CDATA[Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is among the conditions with the highest antibiotic prescribing rates in health care, even though most cases are of viral origin and self-limiting. Irrational prescribing in this setting is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the rationality of antibiotic use in ARI patients at Hospital X, Batam City. A cross-sectional design was applied, with data collected retrospectively from the medical records of ARI patients who received antibiotics during January-March 2024. Rationality was assessed qualitatively using the Gyssens method, while antibiotic selection was mapped against the WHO 2023 AWaRe classification. Of 96 prescriptions meeting the inclusion criteria, the most frequent antibiotics were amoxicillin (31.3%) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (22.9%), with acute pharyngitis (27.1%) as the leading diagnosis. Based on the AWaRe classification, the Access group predominated (68.8%), exceeding the WHO target of 60% or higher. Gyssens evaluation showed that 60.4% of prescriptions were rational (category 0), whereas 39.6% were irrational, with the most common deviations being inappropriate dosing (category IIA; 9.4%), availability of a more effective antibiotic (category IVA; 6.3%), and overly short duration (category IIIB; 5.2%). These findings indicate that although antibiotic selection was relatively appropriate, dosing and duration still require improvement. Strengthening the antimicrobial stewardship programme with emphasis on dose and duration accuracy is recommended to improve treatment quality while curbing resistance in health facilities.]]>
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