Antibiotics prescriptions cut

Antibiotics prescriptions cut

In the last few years, government health protection experts and drug advisers have warned that overuse is increasing antibiotic resistance. Now, GPs have again been told they need to cut back on the number of antibiotics they prescribe.

According to the BBC, The European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has warned if trends continue, then it will make it harder for hospitals to carry out operations, as in recent years the UK has seen rates of antibiotic resistance rise.

The ECDC is responding by warning that many common operations would be compromised if antibiotics were powerless to protect patients from life-threatening infections. In order to control this, it wants to see governments across Europe run campaigns on the issue.

Sarah Earnshaw, of the health communications unit at the ECDC, said that GPs were often pressured by patients - especially pushy parents - to prescribe antibiotics.

She said, "Patients are often demanding antibiotics, especially parents demanding them for their children. A survey in 2002 showed that 60 percent of people did not know that antibiotics do not work against viruses such as flu."

Advertising campaign

The government launched a major advertising campaign earlier this year telling people that antibiotics do not work on coughs or colds.

The Health Protection Agency has also warned about rising rates, while the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance urging doctors not to prescribe them for minor illnesses.

A Department for Health spokeswoman agreed trends needed to change, but said the responsibility also lay with patients not to pressure GPs.

"Using antibiotics when they are not necessary will increase resistance to them and make it difficult to treat serious bacterial infections in the future.

"If you are suffering with cold symptoms or a sore throat you should rest, take plenty of fluids and speak to your pharmacist who will advise you on over-the-counter remedies that are available."

Prescriptions

Britain has one of the highest rates of resistance in Europe, with more antibiotics prescribed in the UK than in nine other European countries.

Last year GPs handed out 38 million prescriptions for antibiotics at a cost to the NHS of GBP£175 million.

NICE also issued guidance urging doctors not to prescribe them for minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, sore throats or ear infections.

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