City prescriptions and antibiotic consumption in 2023 show a downward trend compared to the previous year.
- In 2023, antibiotic prescriptions in community medicine have stabilized (-0.2% compared to 2022).
- Consumption for its part fell by 3.3% compared to the previous year.
- However, discrepancies were observed depending on age and gender.
If France remains the 5th country with the highest consumption of antibiotics in Europe, prescriptions in cities will stabilize in 2023, according to the update on the consumption of these drugs in France. The most optimistic will even say that a slight downward trend is observed (-0.2% compared to 2022).
This report was published by Public Health France in anticipation of Global Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (November 18 to 24) and European Antibiotic Awareness Day (November 18).
Antibiotic: resumption of the downward trend observed before Covid-19
In addition to prescriptions stabilized at 820.6 prescriptions for antibiotic treatments in the city per 1,000 inhabitants per year, Public Health France reports that consumption expressed in defined daily doses (per 1,000 inhabitants) fell by 3.3% in 2023.
“After two consecutive years marked by an increase in the use of antibiotics, the 2023 figures are part of the trend of moderate but constant decline observed before the Covid-19 pandemic, since 2013”note the authors of the annual report.
They add that “this decline could result – at least in part – from a lower incidence of winter infections.”
However, while antibiotic prescriptions from general practitioners have decreased, those from dentists and specialist doctors have increased by 1.4% and 4.6% respectively.
“The drop in prescriptions and consumption of antibiotics in 2023 in France constitutes an encouraging sign. However, we are still far from the target objective of less than 650 prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants per year, retained by the National Strategy 2022- 2025 prevention of infections and antibiotic resistance Raising awareness among prescribers and patients is essential to achieve our public health objectives.adds Dr Caroline Semaille, Director General of Public Health France.
Antibiotics: differences depending on the sexes and age of patients
Experts also note that the use of antibiotics varies depending on age and gender. In fact, consumption is generally higher among women than among men. In 2023, 56.2% of antibiotic consumption in defined daily doses and 59.1% of prescriptions concerned women, “while the share of women in the population was 51.7%”.
In addition, while prescriptions for children under the age of 5 have decreased to a lower level than in 2019, people over the age of 65 consume more.
Another finding of the report, the regions most “amateurs” of antibiotics are Corsica and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
