March 28, 2014
What we found
This comment is in response to “Antibiotic use in Eastern Europe: A cross-national database study in coordination with the WHO Regional Office for Europe” by Verpoorten et al.
A study by Verspoorten et al., published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases in March 2014, reported on patterns of antibiotic consumption in 2011 in six southeastern European countries and seven Newly Independent States. It found that there were significant differences in per-person antibiotic consumption across both groups of countries. While similar variations occur among EU countries, these are likely due to differences in the strength of national stewardship programs. In the case of the countries studied, however, Verspoorten et al. note that these variations are more likely to be due to differences in health care systems, socioeconomic status, education, the extent of self-medication, cultural factors and the availability of antibiotics without prescription.
Why it matters
We hope this study the first data collected on antibiotic use in non-EU European countries will drive medical professionals and policymakers in these countries to turn their focus to the dangers of antibiotic overuse. This will require the systematic, regular collection of data on antibiotic consumption in order to assess the determinants of this consumption. The continuation of such studies will provide benchmarks for the assessment of antibiotic stewardship programs and will help policymakers design effective, appropriate national strategies to decrease the unnecessary use of antibiotics.
