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Antibiotic Use In Scotland Falls For First Time In Years

Scotland cut the number of prescriptions for antibiotics by 1.6 per cent in 2009 — the first fall in five years.

A report from the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group says 44,500 fewer antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed in Scotland in 2009 than in 2008. This is a 1.6 per cent fall in the number of prescribed items per 1,000 population per day.

The annual report also found that there was a 19.5 per cent reduction in prescriptions for antibiotics associated with a higher risk of Clostridium difficile infections and a 4.9 per cent increase in the use of recommended antibiotics.

In addition, the country met its target to reduce seasonal variations in fluoroquinolones for the first time.

No significant rises in resistance were seen among organisms such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Resistance to third generation cephalosporins decreased significantly in E coli, the organism most frequently associated with causing bacteraemia in Scotland.

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Extract taken from PJ Online