Norway society has reversed a troubling post-pandemic trend, with antibiotic prescriptions dropping significantly in 2025 after three years of steady increases. The turnaround follows targeted government intervention and marks a rare public health victory against antimicrobial resistance. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB).
Government strategy delivers results
Antibiotic use surged 19 percent between 2021 and 2024 as Norway, like much of the world, grappled with infection waves following COVID-19. The increase alarmed Helsedirektoratet (Norway's health directorate) and prompted a thorough response strategy from the government.
The intervention focused on primary care physicians, who prescribe nearly all antibiotics outside hospitals. Doctors received new guidelines to wait longer before prescribing antibiotics, and prescriptions became valid for only ten days at pharmacies instead of the previous longer periods. Helsedirektoratet also recommended shorter treatment courses for common infections like pneumonia and urinary tract infections in pregnant women.
"The number of dispensations is fewer, and prescriptions are dispensed when people need them, not when people want to get them," said pharmacist Stein Lorentzen-Lund, describing the behavioral shift among both doctors and patients.
Primary care hits target, hospitals lag behind
The results split along institutional lines. General practitioners have nearly achieved the government's goal of reducing antibiotic prescriptions by 10 percent compared to 2019 levels, according to data from Apotekforeningen (Norway's pharmacy association).
Hospitals tell a different story. Specialist healthcare facilities show minimal reduction in antibiotic use, remaining well below the national target. Anne-Karin Rime, president of Den norske legeforeningen (Norwegian Medical Association), attributes this to the severity of cases reaching hospitals, where antibiotic decisions are more clear-cut.
Sigurd Høye, who leads the Antibiotic Center for Primary Medicine at the University of Oslo, noted that 2025 marked a return to normal infection patterns after years of pandemic-related disruption. "After the pandemic there have been several infection peaks with diseases often treated with antibiotics: scarlet fever, whooping cough, and mycoplasma pneumonia," he explained.
Resistance threat drives urgency
The push to reduce antibiotic consumption stems from fears of antimicrobial resistance, where bacteria evolve to survive standard treatments. Hanne Andresen from Apotekforeningen has warned that antibiotic-resistant infections could kill more people than cancer within 25 years if current trends continue globally.
Norway's success contrasts sharply with global patterns. While Norwegian antibiotic use has declined 33 percent since 2012, worldwide consumption continues rising. The World Health Organization has identified antimicrobial resistance as one of the top global health threats.
Expect Norway to expand its hospital-focused interventions next, as primary care success creates pressure to address the specialist healthcare gap. The government will likely mandate stricter antibiotic stewardship programs in hospitals by 2026.
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