Use of antibiotics in Czechia up 16 percent in five years

The number of antibiotic prescriptions in Czechia has risen by 16 percent over the past five years to 5.7 million, the General Health Insurance Company (VZP) said on Thursday. The country ranks among Europe’s biggest consumers of antibiotics.

Experts say antibiotics should be used only for bacterial infections such as pneumonia or strep throat, not for viral illnesses like colds or flu, as overuse increases bacterial resistance and can make common infections harder to treat.

VZP data show the insurer paid CZK 1 billion for antibiotics last year, up from CZK 794 million in 2020. The EU estimates about 35,000 deaths annually from antibiotic resistance; in Czechia, around 500 people died in 2020.