TABLE 1.
Change in antibiotic dispensings during April–October 2020 relative to historical trend, overall and by the 10 most common antibiotics
| Antibiotic | Mean monthly dispensing per 1000 population a | Estimated level change b | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020 | % | 95% CI | |
| Overall | 91·1 | 56·8 | −36·4 | −39·8 to −32·7 |
| Cefalexin | 18·6 | 13·9 | −24·2 | −27·2 to −21·2 |
| Amoxicillin | 20·1 | 9·4 | −52·7 | −56·0 to −49·3 |
| Amoxicillin with clavlulanic acid | 16·7 | 8·2 | −48·0 | −52·1 to −43·6 |
| Doxycycline | 8·6 | 6·3 | −27·5 | −30·9 to −24·0 |
| Roxithromycin | 4·5 | 1·2 | −69·0 | −73·0 to −64·4 |
| Trimethoprim c | 2·9 | 2·7 | −3·1 | −6·1 to 0·1 |
| Flucloxacillin c | 2·2 | 2·5 | 2·2 | −5·7 to 10·8 |
| Clarithromycin | 2·6 | 1·1 | −51·3 | −59·5 to −41·4 |
| Metronidazole c | 2·1 | 2·0 | −4·4 | −10·0 to 1·6 |
| Phenoxymethylpenicillin | 1·9 | 1·0 | −40·9 | −46·7 to −34·4 |
a
Means are for the periods April–October 2019 and April–October 2020.
b
Estimates and 95% CIs are for the level change terms from seasonal ARIMA models.
c
Antibiotics listed in italics are rarely prescribed for respiratory tract infections in Australian general practice.