In 2010, U.S. healthcare providers prescribed 258 million courses of antibiotics, or 833 prescriptions for every 1,000 Americans, according to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The study analyzed data from the IMS Health Xponent database, which represents a 100 percent projection of prescription activity in the U.S. Prescribing rates were calculated using the database's prescription figures and census data.
The study also reveals regional variations in prescription frequency, showing rates in the South to be much higher than those in the West (936 and 639 per 1,000, respectively). A map showing rates per 1,000 by state can be seen here.
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The study analyzed data from the IMS Health Xponent database, which represents a 100 percent projection of prescription activity in the U.S. Prescribing rates were calculated using the database's prescription figures and census data.
The study also reveals regional variations in prescription frequency, showing rates in the South to be much higher than those in the West (936 and 639 per 1,000, respectively). A map showing rates per 1,000 by state can be seen here.
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Hospital Staff Usually Blame Others for Overprescribing Antibiotics, Study Suggests