Release date: 10 January 2024
Key Findings for year 2023
Background and Method
Results
Summary
The key findings of the 2023 surveillance include the following:
- The overall antimicrobials supply decreased from 20.37 DID (2016) to 13.70 DID (2021), followed by a mild rebound in 2022 to 14.39 DID and the increase continued in 2023 to 17.08 DID. Nevertheless, the compound annual growth rate from 2016 to 2023 was decreased by 2.5%.
- In 2023, Hong Kong reached 60.2% of overall antimicrobial supplied under the Access group of WHO AWaRe categorisation, which exceeded the benchmark of 60% as recommended by WHO.
- The majority of antimicrobials supplied in Hong Kong went to private doctors (56.6% in 2023), the major primary healthcare service providers, followed by Hospital Authority (28.1%) , private hospitals (6.1%) and community pharmacies (4.1%).
- The percentage of antimicrobials supplied to community pharmacies showed a gradual reduction from 18.5% in 2016 to 4.1% in 2023.
- Overall wholesale supply of broad-spectrum antimicrobials (‘Big Guns’) in Hong Kong showed an increase of 8.1% (CAGR) from 2016 to 2023.
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Recommendations
As most antimicrobials were supplied to private doctors (56.6%) and HA (28.1%), strengthening the implementation of the Antibiotic Stewardship Programme in primary care and public hospitals is recommended to ensure appropriate prescribing and curb antimicrobial resistance.
Most broad-spectrum antimicrobials (‘Big Guns’) were supplied to HA and private hospitals. The continuously rising trend of these broad-spectrum antimicrobials warrants a continue monitoring of these antimicrobials to prevent overuses and resistance development.
Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge product registration certificate holders and licensed drug wholesalers for providing wholesale supply data for 2023 and the Drug Office of DH for facilitating the surveillance exercise.
Past Reports
Key findings for year 2023 
Background and Method of the Report 
Results of the Report 
Access Past Reports 
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