In 2024, the overall level of antibiotic consumption in Latvia increased by 4%, the State Agency of Medicines (GAL) reported to LETA.
Data on antibiotic consumption in 2025 will be summarized in February-March, the agency noted.
Data for 2024 shows that compared to 2023, antibiotic consumption per 1,000 residents of Latvia increased from 14.87 to 15.46 defined daily doses.
The increase was noted in both the outpatient sector and inpatient healthcare facilities: in the outpatient sector, consumption increased by 3.3% in 2024, while in hospitals, it rose by 9.6%.
As indicated by the State Agency of Medicines (GAL), a particularly concerning trend is the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in outpatient practice - in 2024, their use increased by one third compared to the previous year. This means that antibiotics with a broader action are used more frequently, even though in many cases infections can be treated with more targeted narrow-spectrum drugs. Such practices increase the risk of more rapid development of antimicrobial resistance.
At the same time, the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in Latvian hospitals proportionally decreased in 2024 - their share of total consumption fell from 42% in 2023 to 38.1% in 2024, indicating a consolidation of more rational antibiotic use practices in hospitals.
Although Latvia still ranks among the EU countries with relatively low levels of antibiotic consumption in the outpatient sector, the increase in 2024 indicates insufficient progress towards the EU goals of reducing antibiotic consumption by 9% by 2030.
GAL reminds that antibiotics are effective only against bacterial infections. Their use without a doctor's prescription, in inappropriate cases, or incomplete courses contributes to the spread of antimicrobial resistance and jeopardizes the possibility of effective treatment of infections in the future. Once a course of antibiotics is started, it must be completed, even if the patient feels better.
Data on drug consumption in Latvia was obtained by analyzing monthly reports from major wholesale companies on the sales of these medications.
