A just released report of antibiotic use in provincial nursing homes shows large variations in the amounts residents receive.

It found that residents of homes where antibiotic use is heaviest face an increase risk (24%) of having a health problem linked to the drugs, such as C. difficile or an infection.

That applies not just those who’ve been taking antibiotics but all residents.

The study’s author, Dr. Nick Daneman, says that underscores the need for better use of antibiotics in such facilities.

The study examined the experiences of over 110,000 people living in 607 nursing homes in 2010 and 2011.

The results are published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.