Surveillance of antimicrobial consumption. Contemporary approaches, methodologies and programs

Medical Review (Med. pregled), 2023, 59(5), 14-24.

M. M. Petrov

Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology „Prof. Dr. Elissay Yanev” Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University – Plovdiv

Abstract. Facilitated international transport and global trade are leading to an increasing spread of multidrug-resistant microorganisms. As a result, antimicrobial drug resistance has become a global threat to medicine and global health. The connection between antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance has been known for a long time. All international strategies to combat the rising tide of antimicrobial resistance include surveillance of antimicrobial consumption as a core component. For this purpose, it is necessary to measure the use of antibiotics according to a single standard methodology. Different systems, data sources and measurement units are used to monitor drug consumption. This article presents the history and main components of the World Health Organization’s Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical/Defined Daily Dose drug consumption monitoring system. Various sources of data on the use of medicinal preparations and different units of measurement have been analyzed. Modern software programs to facilitate the collection of information and the calculation of antibiotic consumption are reviewed. An analysis of the data from the surveillance of the use of antibiotics in all European countries for 2019 and 2020, collected as part of the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network, coordinated by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm, was made.

Key words: antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic consumption, surveillance, drug use, Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical, Defined Daily Dose

Address for correspondence: Assoc. Prof. Michael M. Petrov, MD, PhD, MHM, e-mail: mishopetrov23@yahoo.com