Percentage of prescribed antibiotic items from cephalosporin, quinolone and co-amoxiclav class - ICB

Broad-spectrum items prescribed in primary care settings include the following antimicrobials: cephalosporin, fluoroquinolone, and co-amoxiclav. Data is presented as the percentage of broad-spectrum items prescribed over all prescribed antibacterials in the British National Formula (BNF) 5.1 category by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). A twelve-month rolling figure uses the most recent 12 months' data per data point. The lower the percentage presented, the lower the proportion of broad-spectrum items prescribed.

Rationale

The consumption of antibiotics is a major driver for the development of antibiotic resistance (AMR) in bacteria. AMR is a serious and growing global public health concern with implications for every government and the populations they serve. The emergence and spread of infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to treatment by current antibiotics strikes at the heart of modern medical and veterinary practice. The use of antibiotics is essential for saving lives in conditions such as sepsis. The UK government released a report in 2013 and a report in 2019, with ambitions to reduce UK antimicrobial use in humans by 15% by 2024.

Definition of numerator

The total items of antibacterials (BNF 5.1) prescribedin the current month and the preceding 11 months.

Definition of denominator

ONS mid-year estimates based on ICB sub-level boundaries

Caveats

The figures produced in this indicator are crude; comparison between different areas needs to be treated with caution. The quarterly total number of antibiotic items per STAR-PU indicator adjusts for confounding factors, age, and sex. Antibiotic items are only included if they have a BNF 5.1 antibacterial code. The denominator uses the same subset of the BNF chapter 5.1 that is currently used in NHSBSA ePACT2 and does not include all antibiotic items in this chapter. Figures will vary if compared to similar indicators at different geographical levels as they are separate and have different criteria for inclusion and exclusion.

Figures are aggregated to the ICBs level and may be missing due to GP not being matched to an ICB. Figures are updated, for example, to take into account merging with another provider or boundary changes.