Antibiotic use was high in Turkey in previous years. The public has reduced the use of antibiotics, thanks to the doctors who explained that the use of antibiotics unnecessarily is very serious harm to health. From 2011 to 2020, antibiotic use across the country declined by half.
DECREASED FROM 35 PERCENT TO 24 PERCENT
According to the research of the Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Specialization Association of Turkey, which carries out uninterrupted studies on the rational use of antibiotics for public health, antibiotic consumption, which was 42 units per 1000 people in 2011, decreased to 24 units per 1000 people in 2020. In addition, while antibiotics were included in 35 percent of prescriptions in 2011, this rate decreased to 24 percent in 2020.
DECREASING ANTIBIOTIC USE CONTRIBUTED TO THE BUDGET
According to the research, if the consumption of antibiotics had continued at the rate in 2011, around 260 million boxes of antibiotics would have been consumed in 2020. In 2020 and beyond, 138 million boxes of antibiotics were consumed less. While 11 percent of the money spent on drugs went to antibiotics in 2011, this rate decreased to 3 percent in 2020 and became 1 billion 352 million liras. If the consumption of antibiotics in Turkey were at the levels in 2011, the money spent on antibiotics in 2020 would be 5 billion liras. In this way, a contribution of 3.4 billion liras was made to the Turkish budget. (UAV)