Variation in outpatient antibiotic use in three European countries: exploration of possible determinants

Abstract

Introduction Most antibiotics in primary care are for respiratory tract infections, while the vast majority of these infections are self-limiting. This over-prescribing of antibiotics wastes money, unnecessarily exposes patients to risk of side effects, encourages re-consulting for similar problems and causes antimicrobial resistance. Several studies have reported a large international variation in out-patient antibiotic use in Europe. The international trend to prescribe more broad-spectrum, newer and more expensive chemotherapeutics 4,5 and the growing antibiotic resistance problems emphasize the need of implementing guidelines advocating a restrictive antibiotic policy. An awareness of possible determinants of international differences in antibiotic prescribing could help in designing interventions.