The use of antibiotics commonly associated with antimicrobial resistance: a UK network cohort study using primary and hospital care data

Objectives

To describe and compare patterns of use and potential indications of antibiotics in the WHO AWaRe classification Watch list in UK NHS community care and hospital care settings.

Design

Retrospective observational cohort study using routinely collected electronic health record data.

Setting

Community and hospital care in England and Scotland.

Participants

We included 12,139,211 records covering 33 different Watch antibiotics used in UK hospitals and community care settings.

Main outcome measures

Outcomes were incident prescription / dispensation records of each WHO AWaRe classification Watch list antibiotic between 2022 to last date of data capture for hospital care and from 2012 for community care. Conditions of interest captured 14 days before and after Watch list antibiotic use. Previous use of Access and other Watch list antibiotics were captured 14 days up to 1 day before each Watch list antibiotic.

Results

Our study found marked differences between community and hospital care in the use of Watch antibiotics. In community care, incidence trends for commonly used Watch antibiotics typically declined or remained stable between 2012 and 2024 (e.g., fusidate: from 2,471 to 438 per 100,000 person-years in CPRD Aurum; from 3,594 to 1,561 in DataLoch), with clear seasonality in their use and higher incidence between October and March. Watch antibiotic use in community care was typically linked to mild, common infections such as skin or respiratory tract infections. In hospital care, Watch antibiotic use was more often associated with clinically severe infections such as sepsis (e.g., vancomycin: from 12.2% of users in Leeds to 28.0% in Lancashire) and exacerbations of COPD (e.g., azithromycin: from 1.4% in GOSH to 65.7% in Lancashire). Prior use of Access and other Watch antibiotics was recorded in both community and hospital care, though this was generally observed in fewer than half of patients.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings suggest that Watch antibiotic use reflects the contrasting clinical contexts of community and hospital care, with milder infections predominating in the community and more severe infections in hospitals. However, regional and demographic variation indicates areas where prescribing practices could be refined. Ongoing surveillance and targeted stewardship interventions are essential to promote appropriate use and prevent resistance.

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