Antibiotic Use – New Dashboard

The dashboard is based on information in the Directorate of Health's pharmaceutical database that contains data on antibiotic prescriptions in the community (outside hospitals). The information dates to 2005 and the dashboard is updated quarterly. Data on medication use within hospitals is not registered in the Directorate's pharmaceutical database and is therefore not accessible on this dashboard.

The dashboard displays antibiotic usage by ATC subcategories, gender, age, healthcare district, and quarters. Additionally, it provides information on antibiotic prescriptions by medical specialty. The ATC classification is a five-tier classification system where drugs are categorized based on the organ system they primarily target.

The data in the dashboard covers the major antibiotic categories: J01 (antibacterials), A07A (intestinal anti-infectives), and P01AB (antiparasitic; metronidazole) within the ATC classification system. Three different metrics are used to display antibiotic use:

• Total defined daily doses (DDD) prescribed per 1,000 inhabitants per day (abbreviated DID).

• Total number of prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants per year.

• Number of individuals with prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants.

The dashboard displays total antibiotic use across the indicated ATC categories, but users can also filter individual antibiotics by choosing one or more from the summary table.
The dashboard and antibiotic use in Iceland will be discussed at the Chief Epidemiologist's seminar on the Antibiotic Awareness Day, Monday November 18th.

The Chief Epidemiologist

See more:

• Dashboard - Antibiotic Use (Icelandic)

• Seminar on the Antibiotic Awareness Day