Article 7: Antibiotics Are Not Automatic

Article # 7:

Title: Significant Reduction of Antibiotic Use in the Community after a Nationwide Campaign in France, 2002–2007

 

           
Aim of Intervention:  To reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics, particularly for the treatment of viral infections among children.

Target Population: French population

Target Place: France

Time Period:  2002 to 2007 during the winter months when viral infections mainly occur.

Intervention Tool(s): The campaign included an educational campaign for health care workers, the promotion of rapid tests for diagnosis of streptococcal infections, and a public information campaign about VRIs and about antibiotic resistance. In this study, the researchers evaluate the campaign by analyzing outpatient antibiotic use throughout France from 2000 to 2007.

Technology: Access to French National Health Insurance database and national disease surveillance system. Analyses were performed using SAS version 9.1 (SAS Institute).

Results:  The number of antibiotic prescriptions per 100 inhabitants decreased by a quarter over the five winters of the “Antibiotics are not automatic” campaign. The greatest decrease in prescription rate (a decrease of more than a third by 2006/7) was among children aged 6–15 years. Finally, although the rates of antibiotic prescriptions reflected the rates of flu-like illness throughout the campaign, by 2006/7 this relationship was much weaker, which suggests that fewer antibiotics were being prescribed for viral infections.
Costs: Estimated to cost 500 million euros over six years. No external funds were obtained for this work. It was supported directly by internal resources of the INSERM, Pasteur Institute, the French NHI, and Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.


Personal Reflection: Costly, requires heavy funding and national support, needs close scrutinization and ongoing evaluation over long-term period. Promising results.

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