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. 2008 Nov 24;337:a2245. doi: 10.1136/bmj.a2245

Table 3.

 Top 10 most commonly used therapeutic classes in various age categories

Therapeutic class (ATC) Users/1000 person years
<2 years
Antibacterials for systemic use (J01) 435
Ophthalmologicals (S01) 175
Corticosteroids, dermatological preparations (D07) 165
Drugs for obstructive airway diseases (R03) 161
Emollients and protectives (D02) 147
Analgesics (N02 134
Nasal preparations (R01) 83
Antidiarrhoeals, intestinal anti-inflammatory/anti-infective agents (A07) 67
Stomatological preparations (A01) 59
Corticosteroids for systemic use (H02) 57
2-11 years
Antibacterials for systemic use (J01) 288
Drugs for obstructive airway diseases (R03) 108
Corticosteroids, dermatological preparations (D07 86
Emollients and protectives (D02) 67
Ophthalmologicals (S01) 64
Analgesics (N02 63
Other respiratory system products (R07) 63
Nasal preparations (R01) 38
Antibiotics and chemotherapeutics (D06) 37
Anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic products (M01) 33
12-18 years
Antibacterials for systemic use (J01) 194
Sex hormones and modulators of genital system (G03) 82
Drugs for obstructive airway diseases (R03) 71
Other respiratory system products (R07) 67
Corticosteroids, dermatological preparations (D07) 65
Anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic products (M01) 57
Nasal preparations (R01) 48
Ophthalmologicals (S01) 47
Anti-acne preparations (D10 46
Analgesics (N02) 44

ATC=WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system.