Table 2 Comparison of the most common antibiotics consumed nationally in primary care and the most common antibiotics prescribed by General Practitioners in the study. (DDD: defined daily dose; HPSC: Health Protection Surveillance Centre)
Antibiotic | National consumption data (HPSC) | GP Study | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | DDD | % | Rank | Reported prescriptions | % | |
Co-amoxiclav | 1 | 765,235 | 27.01 | 1 | 792 | 23.66 |
Amoxicillin | 2 | 448,362 | 15.83 | 2 | 719 | 21.48 |
Clarithromycin | 3 | 386,060 | 13.63 | 3 | 308 | 9.20 |
Doxycycline | 4 | 176,445 | 6.23 | 9 | 81 | 2.42 |
Flucloxacillin | 5 | 128,998 | 4.55 | 5 | 231 | 6.90 |
Phenoxymethylpenicillin | 6 | 113,971 | 4.02 | 4 | 233 | 6.96 |
Cefaclor | 7 | 108,434 | 3.83 | 6 | 173 | 5.17 |
Trimethoprim | 8 | 107,384 | 3.79 | 7 | 131 | 3.91 |
Lymecycline | 9 | 97,918 | 3.46 | 19 | 20 | 0.60 |
Erythromycin | 10 | 89,771 | 3.17 | 8 | 82 | 2.45 |
Ciprofloxacin | 12 | 84,981 | 3.00 | 10 | 78 | 2.33 |
Other antibacterials | 325,666 | 11.49 | 500 | 14.93 | ||