Evaluation of the consumption of antimicrobial drugs is an important component of antibiotic policy and provides a picture of rationality of treatment. In the present paper, the authors analyzed the consumption of antibacterial agents of the ATC group J01 for systemic use in out-patient practice in Slovakia in 1999–2001. The data were taken from materials of all Slovak insurance companies provided by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic. The paper evaluated the total out-patient consumption of antimicrobial agents and the financial costs of antibiotic therapy, analyzed the consumption of the individual groups of antibiotics and the consumption of individual agents, and compared the found out-patient consumption with that of Finland. The DDD values in the period under study gave evidence of a high but stable consumption of antibiotics. The analysis according to the groups of antibiotics revealed the dominance of penicillins with wider spectra, penicillins sensitive to β-lactamases, and macrolides. The evaluation of individual antimicrobial agents showed a positive tendency of the growth of amoxicillin consumption, compensated by a decrease in the consumption of less advantageous ampicillin. The comparison of the Slovak and Finnish consumptions of macrolide antibiotics showed a prevailing consumption of roxitromycin and klaritromycin in Slovakia, and azitromycin in Finland. As far as cephalosporins are concerned, the preparations of the first generation dominated in Finland, and those of the second generation in Slovakia.

        Key words: consumption – antibiotics – out-patient practice – antibiotic policy – health insurance companies