# Global antibiotic misuse and resistance > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/global-antibiotic-misuse-and-resistance > Updated: 2026-08-14T23:46:22.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2. A global study published in The Lancet Public Health analyzed antibiotic consumption across 186 countries, revealing widespread misuse. The research found that 40.2 billion daily doses were used in 2018, with many nations over-prescribing ‘Watch’ antibiotics that carry higher resistance risks. While high-income nations like Germany show excessive use of these drugs, lower-income regions often suffer from insufficient access to ‘Access’ and ‘Reserve’ medicines. As antibiotic resistance evolves into a critical public health threat, the impact is significant; in the United States and European Union, approximately 50,000 annual deaths are attributed to multi-resistant organisms. Experts note that improper use, such as self-medication and treating viral infections with antibiotics, accelerates bacterial mutation. In response, some regions have implemented regulatory changes, such as Mexico, which restricted antibiotic sales to prescription-only to curb the high rate of self-prescription. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-14: Antibiotic resistance poses growing global public health threat Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health crisis, causing 50,000 deaths annually in the US and EU. Experts warn against self-medication and using antibiotics for viral infections. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/antibiotic-resistance-poses-growing-global-public-health-threat ### 2026-07-21: Global Study Finds Widespread Misuse of Antibiotics Across 186 Countries A Lancet Public Health study of 186 nations finds overuse of WHO “Watch” antibiotics and underuse of “Access” and “Reserve” drugs, highlighting global antimicrobial resistance risks. 20 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/global-study-finds-widespread-misuse-of-antibiotics-across-186-countries --- Cite as: Global antibiotic misuse and resistance. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/global-antibiotic-misuse-and-resistance