Macrolide antibiotic use is increasing in developing countries

This graph shows retail sales of macrolide antibiotics across five regions, from 2005-2010.  Macrolide use is steadily increasing across the developing world, while it is declining in Sweden and in the United States.  Despite decreasing retail sales in the U.S., as of 2009 macrolides are the most prescribed antibiotic class in the country, active against a range of common bacterial infections. Overuse in the outpatient setting, particularly of broad-spectrum members (azythromycin, clarithromycin), has been linked to the rise of resistant pneumonia-causing bacteria.