Antibiotic overuse remains a problem, researchers say

Patterns of antibiotic overuse vary in the U.S. vary by region, with residents of some Southeastern states taking about twice as many antibiotics per capita as residents in some Western states. Public health officials worry about antibiotic overuse and misuse because they can promote the development of drug-resistant strains of bacteria that are invulnerable to medical treatment. The new data on antibiotic use, which are available for viewing on the center's "resistance map," came from new analysis by the center's Extending the Cure project. The map allows users to examine antibiotic use and bacterial resistance on a state-by-state and microbe-by-microbe basis.