Which Countries Prescribe The Most & Least Antibiotics?

World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week recently concluded, highlighting a critical global health concern. Antimicrobials, including antibiotics, are essential medicines fighting infectious diseases in humans, animals, and plants. Overuse and misuse of these medications accelerate antimicrobial resistance, a natural but dangerous process. This resistance leads to severe health consequences, potentially impacting life-saving treatments. A new OECD report reveals significant variations in antibiotic prescription rates across different nations. Greece exhibited the highest prescription rate in 2023, surpassing both the OECD average and rates observed in nations like Sweden and the Netherlands. While many OECD countries have seen a reduction in antibiotic prescriptions, Finland and Canada experienced the most significant decreases since 2013. The OECD emphasizes that antibiotics should only be prescribed based on solid evidence to combat resistance. Indirect exposure through contaminated food products from animals also contributes to the problem. Data indicates certain countries employ antibiotics in animal agriculture more heavily than others.