Data Show California Among U.S. States With Lowest Antibiotics Use

California ranks among states with the lowest use of antibiotics, according to data from the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy, Payers & Providers reports.

Background

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has grown since they were developed in the 1940s because of frequent use of the drugs (Payers & Providers, 11/29).

According to the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, more than 70% of bacteria that cause hospital-acquired infections are resistant to at least one of the antibiotics used to treat them.

Arjun Srinivasan -- associate director for healthcare-associated infection prevention programs with the CDC Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion -- said, "The threat of antibiotic resistance returns again and again, and the threat of untreatable infection looms."

Details of CDDEP Data

CDDEP found that the five states with the lowest use of antibiotics in 2010 were:

• Alaska;
• California;
• Hawaii;
• Oregon; and
• Washington.

According to CDDEP, the five states with the highest antibiotic use in 2010 were:

• Kentucky;
• Louisiana;
• Mississippi;
• Tennessee; and
• West Virginia (Krupa, American Medical News, 11/26).

CDDEP Credits Calif. Initiative

CDDEP said that an initiative launched by the California Medical Association Foundation in 2000 helped reduce the use of antibiotics in the state. The initiative was part of a nationwide project known as the Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance Education.