November 17, 2011
New antibiotic use visualizations on ResistanceMap bring to light large variations in outpatient antibiotic dispensing patterns across the United States. Residents in West Virginia, for example, take over twice the number of antibiotics per capita than people living in western states like Alaska and Oregon. This infographic (also available in the Tools section of our website) breaks down the rates by state, showing a striking pattern of intensive use in the U.S. Southeast in 2006-2007.
The map prompts some obvious but complex questions about how and why antibiotics are prescribed across different settings. Check out the ResistanceMap use module to view antibiotic consumption rates in all 50 states and Washington, DC in 2007. Also see USA Today’s take on the antibiotic use data: Antibiotic Use Higher in East than West.
