Use of antibiotics faces tightening

BEIJING - The Ministry of Health is set to further curb the overuse of antibiotics, mainly at large hospitals, to fight rising drug resistance.

By the year's end, the rates of antibiotics use among inpatients and outpatients on the mainland are expected to be lowered from 70 percent and 50 percent to around 50 percent and 20 percent, which are in line with international standards, the ministry told a regular news conference on Monday.

"The long-time overuse is related to factors including bad morality of some medical workers and the current system whereby hospitals rely on drug sales for revenue," said Zhao Minggang, deputy director of the department of medical administration under the ministry.