High consumption of tetracyclines for acne treatment among young Danish adults

Tetracyclines are used as acne treatment in adolescents worldwide. A large increase in the consumption of antimicrobial agents in Danish primary health care was recently linked to high levels of tetracycline use in adolescents.

Here we closely examine how demographic factors influenced tetracycline use from 2005 to 2014 using consumption data from primary health care expressed as defined daily doses (DDDs) per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID) and number of persons treated per 1000 inhabitants.

From 2005 to 2013, tetracycline consumption increased by 54% followed by a decrease of 14% in 2014. Increases were especially pronounced in persons aged 15-39 years where nearly 9000 additional persons were treated with tetracyclines.

This study shows a long-lasting high consumption of tetracyclines in young Danes with a notable recent decrease breaking the otherwise worrying trend. To obtain a further decrease, focus on public awareness and suitable acne treatment guidelines are highly important.