1 in 3 use antibiotics without prescription, WHO/Europe’s study shows

Only two thirds of people in 14 countries in the WHO European Region, who took part in a recent survey, were able to say their last course of antibiotics was obtained with a medical prescription. 

1 in 3 either used leftover antibiotics from a previous prescription or obtained them without a prescription over the counter from a pharmacy or elsewhere. 

This is at least 3 times more than that reported among EU/EEA countries, in their most recent survey of citizens by the European Commission.

These preliminary findings come from a new survey into the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour around antimicrobial resistance (AMR), conducted for the first time ever in the eastern part of the Region, including the Caucasus and central Asia.