National Action Plan on Antibiotics in Human Healthcare: Three measurable goals for a reduction of antibiotic consumption towards 2020.

The present document contains Denmark's National Action Plan on Antibiotics in Human Healthcare, which lays down three ambitious and measurable goals that aim at reducing the consumption of antibiotics among humans by 2020: 1. The number of redeemed prescriptions for antibiotics in the primary healthcare sector should be reduced from 460 prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants per year in 2016 to 350 prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants per year in 2020; 2. Narrow-spectrum antibiotics should be more frequently used in treatment. The use of Penicillin V should increase from 31 % in 2016 to compprise 36 % of the total antibiotic use in the primary healthcare sector in 2020, measured by the number of prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants; and 3. The consumption of critically important antibiotics should be reduced by 10 % by 2020 measured by DDD/100 bed-days for hospitalised patients, as compared with consumption in 2016.
The Action Plan contains initiatives to achieve each of these goals. These including: focusing reduction on specific target groups; use of wait-and-see prescriptions; cooperation between physicians and regional pharmaceutical consultants regarding a more rational use of antibiotics; antibiotic public awareness campaigns; hygiene initiatives; promoting of narrow-spectrum penicillin in primary healthcare sector; dissemination of knowledge for relevant guidelines on antibiotics; using the Danish Health Authority’s guidelines for prescribing antibiotics; use of digital and monitoring systems to support patient treatment during outbreaks, spread of infections and rational consumption; use of pooled funds for measures to reduce hospitals-acquired infections; etc.