Concern Over Greek Antibiotic Use

Greek patients use antibiotics at a rate 10 times higher than in the rest of Europe, according to findings of recent medical studies, publicized this month by Antenna, one of Greece's main private television channels.

This means, the studies say, that any new drug would be 10 times less likely to combat drug-resistant viruses in Greece than elsewhere in Europe.

The studies also show that patients undergoing surgery in Greece are given a large amount of inefficient antibiotics, which weakens the immune system and makes them vulnerable to diseases such as meningitis. This is particularly dangerous, given the number of resistant viruses circulating in hospitals.