more than one-third (36.6%) of the population had at least one antimicrobial prescription subsidised by the Australian government in 2022, up from 32.9% in 2021.
Do we know if we are better or worse in NZ? How do these rates compare to other countries?
You got me wondering:
Te Tāhū Hauora / Health Quality & Safety Commission reports:
New data shows 47 percent of those who visited their GP in 2018 were dispensed at least one antibiotic.
But don’t despair! It’s quite an exciting time for antimicrobial awareness in New Zealand! In 2017, Manatū Hauora - Ministry of Health in conjunction with Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand launched the “New Zealand Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan” which established the “New Zealand Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan Governance Group” (NZAMRGG). The group meets 3 times per year and the only meeting notes published are from 2019. In those meeting notes “Bryan Wilson” sent apologies. It isn’t clearly stated if this is the Brian Wilson from The Beach Boys but it’s important to note the spelling is different.
It is difficult to understand if the group was effective because they only seemed to publish notes from one meeting which consists mostly of planning and action items.
That figure shocked me at first, but then I realised that it’s over a 12 month period, out of the people that went to the doctor in that period 47% got at least one antibiotic prescription. Not 47% of doctors visits handing out antibiotics (like I first thought), and not 47% of the population.
I tried and failed to find out what proportion of the population went to the doctor in 2018 (or any year), but I think that’s important information to have if we want to compare numbers against Australia.
It’s possible that people can’t afford to go to the doctor, so they only go when it’s really bad.
Also just thinking, the figure in the article compares 2022 to 2021. That’s still coming out of COVID, a time when (physical) illness was at an all time low due to lack of exposure to others. Is the increase in 2022 over 2021 actually representative of the trend? The article even mentions that antimicrobial use dropped over COVID prior to this rise, but not by how much.
