Beijing Municipality sets quotas for antibiotic use in hospitals
Shanghai. May 19. INTERFAX-CHINA - Beijing Municipality has set quotas for the use of antibiotics in hospitals in a bid to curb overuse, the deputy director of the municipal health bureau told press May 18.
By the end of this year, Grade III hospitals will be allowed to use only 50 types of antibiotic, and Grade II hospitals 35 types, said the official, Mao Yu.
Hospitals are required to check their antibiotics inventories, and to start gradually reducing their stock from July this year.
There were no stipulations specifying the types of antibiotics hospitals will be allowed to use.
Meanwhile, antibacterial drugs should account for no more than 60 percent of drugs used by inpatients, and 20 percent of drugs used by outpatients, he said. And preventive antibiotics should account for no more than 30 percent of drugs used by surgical patients.
"Health authorities have presumably carried out statistical analyses of antibiotic use in Beijing's hospitals before setting the quotas, and the figures seem reasonable," Xu Lijuan, chief pharmacist from Jilin Provincial People's Hospital told Interfax on May 19.
The health bureau will monitor the use of antibiotics in hospitals and make regular appraisals, Mao said.
The move comes as part of a campaign to promote the reasonable use of antibiotics launched in Beijing last week.
- KZ
