Rising antimicrobial resistance: a strong reason to reduce excessive antimicrobial consumption in New Zealand

In 2010 the rate of community dispensing of fluoroquinolones (such as ciprofloxacin) per 100 population was 4-7 times higher in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece than in Norway, Sweden, Finland and New Zealand. The rate of resistance to ciprofloxacin in strains of E. coli in the high dispensing nations was 2-4 times higher than in the low dispensing nations.