Antibiotics are often prescribed, dispensed or used unnecessarily or too broadly

Antibiotics are frequently used for illnesses that do not benefit from them, selected without adequate diagnostic information, or continued longer or more broadly than necessary. In some settings, non-prescription sales, informal supply, and fragmented care make appropriate use harder to enforce.

The WHO AWaRe framework classifies antibiotics into Access, Watch, and Reserve groups to support appropriate selection and monitoring. In 2024, United Nations Member States agreed that at least 70% of global human antibiotic consumption should come from the Access group by 2030. WHO monitoring indicator

This issue concerns antibiotic selection and use in human health. It excludes inadequate access to effective treatment, which is a separate problem, and antimicrobial use in animals.