Quick Year
Antibiotic Prescriptions (per 1000 people per year)
1992
1158

1994
989

1996
776

1998
804

2000
783

2002
764

2) Describe the trend shown in the graph.

3) Antibiotics were often prescribed for minor respiratory illnesses. If doctors were unsure of the exact cause of the illness, antibiotics were prescribed in case there were bacteria present causing an infection.
How might this over prescription have increased antibiotic resistance?

4) Why did the number of prescriptions for antibiotics fall between 1992 and 2002?

5) Another cause of antibiotic resistance is believed to be from patients who do not complete the full course of antibiotics. Explain why this could cause antibiotic resistance.