RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Interprovincial variation in antibiotic use in Canada, 2019: a retrospective cross-sectional study
JF CMAJ Open
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP E262
OP E268
DO 10.9778/cmajo.20210095
VO 10
IS 1
A1 Michael Crosby
A1 Teagan Rolf von den Baumen
A1 Cherry Chu
A1 Tara Gomes
A1 Kevin L. Schwartz
A1 Mina Tadrous
YR 2022
UL http://www.cmajopen.ca/content/10/1/E262.abstract
AB Background: Geographic trends in antibiotic prescribing show regional variation in antibiotic overuse and antimicrobial resistance, posing a threat to global health care systems. This study’s objective was to examine interprovincial variation in outpatient antibiotic dispensing in Canada in 2019.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of antibiotic prescriptions dispensed in Canadian provinces in 2019, leveraging the IQVIA Geographic Prescription Monitor database. We report annual rates of overall antibiotic dispensing, broad-spectrum antibiotic dispensing and age-specific antibiotic dispensing as prescriptions per 1000 population in each province and nationally.Results: A total of 23 406 640 antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed nationally in 2019, at a rate of 627.3 prescriptions per 1000 population. Overall antibiotic dispensing rates in Newfoundland and Labrador (920.5 prescriptions per 1000 population) and Saskatchewan (713.7 prescriptions per 1000 population) significantly exceeded the national rate, whereas the rate in British Columbia (543.3 prescriptions per 1000 population) was significantly below the national rate. We observed additional variation when provincial rates of antibiotic dispensing were stratified by drug class and age group.Interpretation: We identified interprovincial variation in antibiotic use in Canadian provinces in 2019. These findings highlight the need for provincial targets for antibiotic use to reduce overuse and antimicrobial resistance.