Keep your hands clean! Common diseases are increasingly difficult to treat
when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, unnecessary use of antibiotics must be reduced. A new assessment shows that reduction of the use of antibiotics is already occuring in several
countries, but there are still large regional differences. Our goal is that one antibiotic prescription of three be removed. John Carlson, Director General of Disease Control, SMI and Goran Stiernstedt, head
of care, write – “Ordinary people can help by washing their hands and staying home when they are sick”, from DN Debate.

The long term goal for Sweden is 250 antibiotic prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants per year. Today, the national average is 382 antibiotic prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants per year. This means that almost
every third antibiotic prescription must be removed. It is a bold goal, but we are convinced that it is achievable. To achieve thesegoals everyone must help.

In Gävleborg we have 338 prescriptions per 1000 inhabitant recorded during the last
measurement period - October 2010 to Sep 2011- and 336 the previous year. We have a lot to do to achieve the goal for Sweden of 250 antibiotic prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants per year.

These figures were among the topics of conversation I had with the board members of PRO Gävleborg, when I met them in Gävle the other day. I hope that the new website – http://www.antibiotikaellerinte.se - will support doctors and give patients and the public the knowledge of when it is good to use antibiotics and when it is not.

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http://landstingsradingemarkalen.blogspot.com/2011/10/tvatta-handerna-och.html /swedish/

InK