Antibiotics
(asked on 11th June 2014) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the total antibiotic use for (1) human medicine in general practice, (2) human medicine in hospitals, and (3) veterinary medicine, for each year since 2004.
The following table provides information on the number of dispensed prescription items for human antibiotic medicines, in the community, for the period 2004 to 2013.
Number of prescription items for antibiotic medicines written in the United Kingdom and dispensed, in the community, in England 1, 2 | |
Year | Items (000s) |
2004 | 33,119.0 |
2005 | 33,825.7 |
2006 | 33,627.5 |
2007 | 35,429.1 |
2008 | 34,801.3 |
2009 | 34,182.9 |
2010 | 35,302.0 |
2011 | 35,333.7 |
2012 | 37,307.0 |
2013 | 35,429.1 |
Sources:
Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system. The Health & Social Care Information Centre, Prescribing and Primary Care Services.
Notes:
1. As classified within British National Formulary (BNF) paragraphs 5.1.1 Penicillins, 5.1.2 Cephalosporins, carbapenems, and other beta-lactams, 5.1.3 Tetracyclines, 5.1.4 Aminoglycosides, 5.1.5 Macrolides, 5.1.6 Clindamycin,5.1.7 Some other antibacterials, 5.1.11 Metronidazole and tinidazole, 5.1.12 Quinolones.
2. Prescriptions include those written by general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and other non-medical prescribers.
In terms of human antibiotic medicines used in hospitals in England, it is not possible to provide reliable information. Within hospital data, information is reported as ‘packs', a measure which is not consistent over time or for aggregation, as one pack could refer to a single vial or to a box of 10 vials, or a bottle of capsules. Therefore to sum all the packs for a range of medicines is inappropriate and any resulting figures will be misleading.
The following table provides information on the volume of antimicrobial sales from Market Authorisation Holders for veterinary medicine.
Sales of animal antibiotics within the United Kingdom 1, 2, 3 | |
Year | Tonnes of active ingredient |
2004 | 453 |
2005 | 446 |
2006 | 405 |
2007 | 387 |
2008 | 384 |
2009 | 402 |
2010 | 447 |
2011 | 346 |
2012 | 409 |
Sources:
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Notes:
1. It is not currently possible to separate the sales data by country and hence the data provided is for the UK.
2. Sales data was provided voluntarily by veterinary pharmaceutical companies from 1998-2004. Data from 2005 onwards has been collected as a statutory requirement, as set out in the Veterinary Medicines Regulations.
3. 2013 data will be published later in the year.