“A tremendous amount of improvement is needed in the human health sector with antibiotics,” says Michael Craig, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention senior adviser for antibiotic resistance coordination and strategy. 

Kurt Stevenson, MD, associated medical director of clinical epidemiology for Ohio State University Health System, shares that 200 million to 300 million antibiotics are prescribed annually. West Virginia leads with the most antibiotic prescriptions with 1.2 scripts per person. Alaska accounted for the lowest number of antibiotics prescribed. 

Nate Smith, MD and Arkansas director and state health officer, says, “many doctors have disconnect with perception and reality. They think what they’re prescribing is correct.”