OBJECTIVES: A review of the cost and usage for all medicines and antibiotics in Serbia in 2004-2007, as well as the data on medicines usage for these two groups. The importance of collecting data on antibiotics consumption is in correlation with rational use.METHODS: Medicine and Medical Devices Agency of Serbia is authorised for collecting and processing data on medicines consumption. Data on medicine consumption in 2004-2007 was gathered from obliged entities, processed by the DDD/1000 inh/d and ATC classification, and the analyses of financial indicators is done as well.RESULTS: It was established that the total medicines marketing in Serbia in 2004 was €340 million (20% for antiinfectives for systematic use - J group), in 2005 it was € 380 million (19% for J group), in 2006 it was €510 million (18% for J group) and in 2007 it was € 690 million (17% for J group). By processing consumption data as DDD, from 2004-2007 consumption of J group was 34.74, 36.38, 34.21 and 46.51 DDD/1000 inh/d, respectively.Expenditure of subgroup penicillins with extended spectrum was at the first place (12 DDD/1000 inh/d in 2004 and 2005, 11 DDD/1000 inh/d in 2006 and 15 DDD/1000 inh/din in 2007), then tetracyclines (6 DDD/1000 inh/d in 2004, 5 DDD/1000 inh/d in 2005-2007) and first-generation cephalosporins (around 5 DDD/1000 inh/d in 2004-2007). The consumption of amoxicillin was the highest in all four years, around 9 DDD/1000 inh/d, at the second place was doxycycline (6 DDD/1000 inh/d in 2004 and around 5 DDD/1000 inh/d in 2005-2007).CONCLUSIONS: Data useful for the improvement of pharmacotherapy and its realisation are generated through processing and analysing the structure of medicines, and getting the insight of all other factors necessary for the health care.