Ruth C, Fanella S, Raymond C, Dragan R, Prior H, Dik N, Stevenson D, Koseva I, Valdivia J. Winnipeg, MB: Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, 2021.

Antibiotics are essential to the health of Manitobans. However, the more they are used the more bacteria can develop resistance, making the antibiotics less effective. This study looked at antibiotics dispensed in the community from 2011 to 2016, and how they linked to physician visits and diagnoses. The study found that antibiotic use increased from 2011 to 2016, with highest use in adults aged 65+ and in children under age 5; rates of inappropriate antibiotic use was high and increasing. For conditions that may need antibiotics, the antibiotics being given were often not the ones recommended by guidelines. Physicians and other providers varied widely in how often they prescribed antibiotics for a given condition. The study findings clearly indicate the need for antibiotic stewardship programs to improve antibiotic use in the community. Several other recommendations are also included in the report.

Links:

• Full Report (PDF)
  Summary (PDF)
  Updates and Errata (PDF)
  Supplementary Content
  Infographic (PDF) **
  Video - What we know
  Video - Why study antibiotic use?
  Video - Improving antibiotic use
  

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