Antibiotic Use
Antibiotic use is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance; its monitoring is therefore essential to identify areas for improvement and to guide and evaluate antibiotic stewardship interventions.
Antibiotic use in Switzerland varies significantly depending on the healthcare setting:
Because the type of patients and pathogens differ vastly between sectors, effective antimicrobial stewardship requires targeted strategies tailored to both the community and hospital settings.
The charts present national data on antimicrobial use, stratified by linguistic region and by AWaRe category, and benchmarked against levels in other European countries. They are based on IQVIA™ Sales Data (Sell-In) from pharmaceutical industries to public pharmacies, self-dispensing physicians and hospitals.
The national One Health Action Plan of the Antibiotic Resistance Strategy (StAR) describes Switzerland’s strategy to combat antibiotic resistance between 2024 and 2027 and defines targets for antibiotic use in human medicine. The StAR Action Plan sets a target of 10.2 DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day for 2027, corresponding to a 4 % reduction in total antibiotic use in human medicine compared to the 2019 baseline.
About 85 % of antibiotics are prescribed in the outpatient sector. In Switzerland, antibiotic use varies by language region: it is higher in the French- and Italian-speaking regions than in the German-speaking region.
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How to Read the Graph
The plots display total antibiotic use in Switzerland, measured in DID (defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day).
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB).
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
IQVIA™ – National Sales Data
National monitoring of antibiotic consumption uses comprehensive pharmaceutical industry sales data (Sell-In) compiled by IQVIA™.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced a classification system for antibiotics that divides them into three categories: Access, Watch and Reserve (“AWaRe”). Antibiotics in the Access category should generally be preferred, as they are effective and contribute only moderately to the development of resistance compared with other antibiotics. The Watch category includes antibiotics intended for a limited number of indications and associated with a higher likelihood of promoting resistance; they are therefore a focus of programmes for appropriate antibiotic use and surveillance. Antibiotics in the Reserve category should be used exclusively as a last-resort treatment option.
The Swiss One Health Action Plan of the Antibiotic Resistance Strategy sets a target of 69% Access antibiotics by 2027.
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The charts show the distribution of antibiotic consumption in Switzerland across the AWaRe categories, expressed as a share of total consumption in percent. The calculation is based on defined daily doses (DDD).
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB). Antibiotics are then grouped in two complementary ways, both based on their ATC codes.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions, and between healthcare settings, raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
IQVIA™ – National Sales Data
National monitoring of antibiotic consumption uses comprehensive pharmaceutical industry sales data (Sell-In) compiled by IQVIA™.
Additional information
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The ESAC-Net (European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network), coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), collects and analyses data on antibiotic use in EU/EEA countries. In a European comparison, Switzerland's outpatient antibiotic use ranks among the lowest in Europe, while inpatient use falls in the middle range.
Select your preferred data visualization using the toolbar buttons at the top left (Bar chart, Line chart, or European map).
When the mouse is moved over a graph, an interactive toolbar appears, enabling features such as zooming, panning, or displaying specific data points on hover.
How to Read the Graph
The plots display total antibiotic use in Switzerland and other countries, measured in DID (Defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day).
FSO: Federal Statistical Office
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB). Antibiotics are then grouped in two complementary ways, both based on their ATC codes.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions, and between healthcare settings, raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
IQVIA™ – National Sales Data
National monitoring of antibiotic consumption uses comprehensive pharmaceutical industry sales data (Sell-In) compiled by IQVIA™.
For the European comparison, the data are from ESAC-Net and are not collected by us but taken from existing surveillance sources. The figures are calculated by the ECDC, with DID values extracted directly from the official European Antimicrobial Consumption Dashboard (data extracted on 10 July 2025). ESAC-Net is a Europe-wide network of national surveillance systems that collects and analyses antimicrobial consumption across EU and EEA countries, in both the general population and the hospital sector.
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The charts show the antibiotics actually dispensed to patients in the ambulatory setting, whether from a pharmacy or directly by certain physicians authorised to dispense medicines to their patients. In Switzerland, prescription data are mainly derived from claims submitted to health insurers, which are collated and centralised by santéservices ag. These data are supplemented by data from the Sentinella network, a group of general practitioners/internists and pediatricians who voluntarily report their prescriptions. This second source provides information not only on the quantity of antibiotics used, but also on the types of infection for which they are prescribed.
The data on antibiotic use are stratified by canton, medical specialty, indication, AWaRe category, and antibiotic class.
This chart illustrates the differences in antibiotic use between Swiss cantons. Across all years, the French-speaking region and Ticino show higher consumption than German-speaking Switzerland. These differences do not necessarily reflect differing medical needs, but rather varying prescribing practices and cultural attitudes regarding common infections.
Select your preferred data visualization using the toolbar buttons at the top left (Bar chart, Line chart, or Switzerland map).
When the mouse is moved over a graph, an interactive toolbar appears, enabling features such as zooming, panning, or displaying specific data points on hover.
How to Read the Graph
The plots display outpatient antibiotic use in Swiss cantons, measured in age- and sex-standardized DID (Defined Daily Doses per 1000 inhabitants per day) based on the patient's canton of residency.
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB). Antibiotics are then grouped in two complementary ways, both based on their ATC codes.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions, and between healthcare settings, raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
santéservices ag – Health Insurance Claims Data
Outpatient prescription tracking uses mandatory health insurance claims data based on the Tariff Pool database, covering services billed to health insurers.
Additional information
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The World Health Organisation classifies antibiotics into three categories (AWaRe). Access antibiotics are first-line treatments that are effective and associated with a low risk of resistance: their use should be prioritised. Watch antibiotics have a broader spectrum of activity and a higher potential for resistance; they should be reserved for more specific situations. Reserve antibiotics are treatments of last resort, to be used only in cases of serious resistant infections.
For Switzerland and each canton, this chart shows the use of each AWaRe category or antibiotic class, expressed in age- and sex-standardised DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day or as a proportion of total use.
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Use the buttons in the toolbar at the top left to select the desired chart type: bar chart, line chart, map of Switzerland or sunburst chart.
Hovering over a chart with the mouse brings up an interactive toolbar that lets you zoom, pan the view or display individual data points on hover.
How to read the chart
The charts show outpatient antibiotic consumption in the Swiss cantons, broken down by AWaRe categories or antibiotic categories, measured in age- and sex-standardised DID (defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day), attributed according to the patients' canton of residence.
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB). Antibiotics are then grouped in two complementary ways, both based on their ATC codes.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions, and between healthcare settings, raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
santéservices ag – Health Insurance Claims Data
Outpatient prescription tracking uses mandatory health insurance claims data based on the Tariff Pool database, covering services billed to health insurers.
Additional information
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In Switzerland, as in most countries, general practitioners prescribe the majority of antibiotics used outside hospital settings, serving as the primary point of contact for patients with common infections. Other medical specialities also contribute significantly to antibiotic use, notably paediatrics for infections in children, dermatology for skin infections, and gynaecology for urinary and genital infections. Group practices may be assigned to several specialities, as the physicians working there are trained in one or more medical specialities.
This chart allows a comparison, for Switzerland and by canton, of the proportion of antibiotic use attributable to the medical specialities that prescribe them most frequently.
Select your preferred data visualization using the toolbar buttons at the top left (Bar chart, Line chart, or Switzerland map).
When the mouse is moved over a graph, an interactive toolbar appears, enabling features such as zooming, panning, or displaying specific data points on hover.
How to Read the Graph
The plots display outpatient antibiotic use in Swiss cantons broken down by medical specialties, measured in age- and sex-standardized DID (Defined Daily Doses per 1000 inhabitants per day) based on the patient's canton of residency.
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB). Antibiotics are then grouped in two complementary ways, both based on their ATC codes.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions, and between healthcare settings, raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
santéservices ag – Health Insurance Claims Data
Outpatient prescription tracking uses mandatory health insurance claims data based on the Tariff Pool database, covering services billed to health insurers.
Additional information
Close
Antibiotic use varies according to age and sex. It is generally higher among young children, due to the frequency of respiratory and ear, nose and throat infections at this age. It is also higher among older people, who are more prone to urinary and respiratory infections. In adults, antibiotic use is higher among women. This persists even after excluding antibiotics typically prescribed for urinary tract infections, suggesting that the difference is not solely driven by these infections, but may also reflect broader differences in healthcare utilisation and consultation behaviour between men and women.
This chart illustrates these differences for Switzerland and by cantons.
Select your preferred data visualization using the toolbar buttons at the top left (Bar chart, Line chart, or Switzerland map).
When the mouse is moved over a graph, an interactive toolbar appears, enabling features such as zooming, panning, or displaying specific data points on hover.
How to Read the Graph
The plots display outpatient antibiotic use in Swiss cantons broken down by age groups and sex, based on the patient's canton of residency.
What this means: A value of 5.2 DID for men and 8.2 DID for women in the 31 to 40 age group means that on a typical day, 5.2 out of 1000 men and 8.2 out of 1000 women in this age group receive a standard daily dose of an antibiotic. Women in this age group therefore use around 60% more antibiotics than men of the same age.
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB). Antibiotics are then grouped in two complementary ways, both based on their ATC codes.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions, and between healthcare settings, raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
santéservices ag – Health Insurance Claims Data
Outpatient prescription tracking uses mandatory health insurance claims data based on the Tariff Pool database, covering services billed to health insurers.
Additional information
Close
The choice of antibiotic category depends on the type of infection. In children, pediatricians prescribe penicillins such as amoxicillin for ear, nose and throat and respiratory infections, while dermatologists rather use tetracyclines for skin infections.
This chart illustrates which categories of antibiotics are favoured according to the medical specialty and the patient age group.
Select your preferred data visualization using the toolbar buttons at the top left (Bar chart, Line chart, or Switzerland map).
When the mouse is moved over a graph, an interactive toolbar appears, enabling features such as zooming, panning, or displaying specific data points on hover.
How to Read the Graph
The plots display outpatient antibiotic consumption in Swiss cantons broken down by medical specialties, measured in sex-standardized DID (Defined Daily Doses per 1000 inhabitants per day) based on the patient's canton of residency.
FSO: Federal Statistical Office
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB). Antibiotics are then grouped in two complementary ways, both based on their ATC codes.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions, and between healthcare settings, raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
santéservices ag – Health Insurance Claims Data
Outpatient prescription tracking uses mandatory health insurance claims data based on the Tariff Pool database, covering services billed to health insurers.
Additional information
Close
Antibiotics are prescribed to treat a variety of infections. Most frequently they are prescribed for respiratory, urinary and skin and soft tissue infections.
This chart shows the frequency of each indication for which antibiotics were prescribed, expressed in a number of prescriptions (per consultations or population) or in a percentage of total.
Display and filters
Select the chart type you want using the toolbar buttons at the top left: Bar chart, Line chart, or Donut chart.
When you move the mouse over a chart, an interactive toolbar appears, allowing you to zoom, pan, or display individual data points on hover.
How to Read the Chart
The charts show antibiotic prescription frequency in the Swiss outpatient sector, broken down by clinical indication.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
In the outpatient setting, prescribing from the Sentinella network is expressed as standardised metrics to allow comparison over time.
Sentinella – Outpatient Prescription Surveillance Data
Prescription indications are derived from the Swiss Sentinel Surveillance Network ("Sentinella"), a collaborative project between general practitioners, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), and university institutes for family medicine.
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Antibiotics are prescribed to treat a variety of infections. Most frequently they are prescribed for respiratory, urinary and skin and soft tissue infections.
This chart shows the frequency of each indication and antibiotic classes for which antibiotics were prescribed, expressed in a number of prescriptions (per consultations or population) or in a percentage of total.
Display and filters
Select the chart type you want using the toolbar buttons at the top left: Bar chart, Line chart, or Donut chart.
When you move the mouse over a chart, an interactive toolbar appears, allowing you to zoom, pan, or display individual data points on hover.
How to Read the Chart
The charts show antibiotic prescription frequency in the Swiss outpatient sector, broken down by clinical indication.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
In the outpatient setting, prescribing from the Sentinella network is expressed as standardised metrics to allow comparison over time.
Sentinella – Outpatient Prescription Surveillance Data
Prescription indications are derived from the Swiss Sentinel Surveillance Network ("Sentinella"), a collaborative project between general practitioners, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), and university institutes for family medicine.
Additional information
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Based on antibiotic prescriptions in the Sentinella network, one prescription in five fails to follow national guidelines, most notably for sinusitis and pharyngitis. Although new national guidelines were issued in 2019, they have led to only limited progress.
This chart shows the proportion of recommended/non-recommended antibiotic prescriptions by clinical indication since the introduction of national guidelines, expressed in a percentage of total.
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Select the chart type you want using the toolbar buttons at the top left: Bar chart, Line chart, or Donut chart.
When you move the mouse over a chart, an interactive toolbar appears, allowing you to zoom, pan, or display individual data points on hover.
How to read the chart
The charts show antibiotic prescription frequency among a selection of physicians, broken down by clinical indication.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
In the outpatient setting, prescribing from the Sentinella network is expressed as standardised metrics to allow comparison over time.
Sentinella – Outpatient Prescription Surveillance Data
Prescription indications are derived from the Swiss Sentinel Surveillance Network ("Sentinella"), a collaborative project between general practitioners, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), and university institutes for family medicine.
Additional information
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The charts show the antibiotics actually used in the hospital setting, whether for the entire hospital or for the intensive care unit (ICU). Relative to the number of bed-days, antibiotic use is highest in intensive care units. Patients, who are often in a critical condition, frequently receive broad-spectrum empirical treatment due to life-threatening diseases. Furthermore, these patients have numerous risk factors for infection: invasive devices (mechanical ventilation, central venous catheters), immunosuppression, and multiple comorbidities. This combination promotes both the acquisition of healthcare-associated infections and the selection of resistant strains under antibiotic pressure.
The data on antimicrobial use are stratified by linguistic region, AWaRe category or antibiotic class, and hospital size, for entire hospitals and for intensive care units. They are based on data collected from a network of hospitals and expressed in defined daily doses (DDD) per 100 bed-days.
The chart shows antibiotic consumption stratified by language region. Unlike in the outpatient sector, there are no notable differences between the French- and German-speaking parts of Switzerland in the hospital sector. Consumption in the Italian-speaking region is somewhat lower, probably because it has no university hospital.
Views and Filtering
Select your preferred data visualisation using the toolbar buttons at the top left (Switzerland map, bar chart, or line chart).
When the mouse is moved over a graph, an interactive toolbar appears, enabling features such as zooming, panning, and displaying specific data points on hover.
How to Read the Graph
The plots display inpatient antibiotic consumption in Switzerland and its three language regions, measured in DDD per 100 bed-days.
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB).
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions, and between healthcare settings, raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
Data Source & Scope
Inpatient antibiotic consumption is monitored using data from the network of acute care hospitals and private clinics participating voluntarily in the ANRESIS surveillance system.
Additional information
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The World Health Organization (WHO) AWaRe system classifies antibiotics into three categories: Access, Watch, and Reserve. Access antibiotics are generally preferred due to their effectiveness and lower risk of driving resistance. Watch antibiotics are indicated for specific infections and carry a higher risk of resistance development, while Reserve antibiotics should be strictly limited to last-resort treatments.
In Swiss hospitals, the consumption of Access and Watch antibiotics has remained stable in recent years. Across Switzerland as a whole, overall Access consumption is slightly higher than Watch consumption, while Reserve use remains exceptionally low at approximately 1%. Notably, regional differences exist. While the Italian-speaking region exhibits lower total antibiotic use, likely due to the absence of university hospitals, it uses a higher proportion of Watch and Reserve antibiotics than the French- and German-speaking regions.
Views and Filtering
Select your preferred view using the toolbar buttons at the top left (bar chart, line chart, or map).
When you move the mouse over a graph, an interactive toolbar appears, with options such as zooming, panning, and showing specific data points on hover.
How to Read the Graph
The plots display inpatient antibiotic consumption in Switzerland and its language regions.
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB). Antibiotics are then grouped in two complementary ways, both based on their ATC codes.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions, and between healthcare settings, raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
Data Source & Scope
Inpatient antibiotic consumption is monitored using data from the network of acute care hospitals and private clinics participating voluntarily in the ANRESIS surveillance system.
Additional information
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Acute care hospitals are grouped into five categories: <100 beds, 100–199 beds, 200–299 beds, 300–599 beds, and ≥ 600 beds. Larger hospitals (including university hospitals) generally use more antibiotics because of more complex cases, but considerable differences exist within each group.
Views and Filtering
Select your preferred data visualization using the toolbar buttons at the top left (Per category (Vertical), Per category (Horizontal), Stacked bar, or Per hospital class).
When the mouse is moved over a graph, an interactive toolbar appears, enabling features such as zooming, panning, or displaying specific data points on hover.
How to Read the Graph
The plots display inpatient antibiotic consumption grouped across distinct Swiss hospital classes.
Substances & Classification
For human medicine, antibiotic use is assessed for the substances relevant to the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, defined by four Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) groups according to the WHO: intestinal anti-infectives (A07AA), antibacterials for systemic use (J01), antimycobacterials (J04A), and nitroimidazole derivatives (P01AB). Antibiotics are then grouped in two complementary ways, both based on their ATC codes.
Calculation of Antibiotic Use
To allow comparison over time, across regions, and between healthcare settings, raw consumption data (number of packages) are converted into standardised metrics, following the ATC classification and the defined daily dose (DDD) methodology of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology.
Data Source & Scope
Inpatient antibiotic consumption is monitored using data from the network of acute care hospitals and private clinics participating voluntarily in the ANRESIS surveillance system.
Additional information
Close
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