Dutch doctors prescribe fewer antibiotics than others in EU

DutchNews, February 9, 2016

Doctors in the Netherlands issue fewer prescriptions for antibiotics than their colleagues in other European countries, according to figures published on Tuesday by the national statistics office CBS. 

The figures, which date from 2013, show 11 out of every 1,000 Dutch people, were taking antibiotics on a given day. 

In Greece, where most prescriptions were handed out, the figure was almost three times as high. In France and Belgium around 30 people in every 1,000 are taking antibiotics at a given time. 

However, the figures show the variation within the Netherlands is also extremely wide. In the far north-east of Groningen, for example, one in four people were prescribed antibiotics in a given year, compared with 15% in rural parts of Noord-Holland. 

European ministers are meeting in Amsterdam on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss resistance to antibiotics.