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Doctors told to cut antibiotic prescriptions in UK

09.11.09


GPs are being urged to stop prescribing antibiotics for coughs and colds as overuse is increasing resistance to them, making it more difficult to tackle serious infections like hospital bugs, it was reported today.

The European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is writing to all family doctors on November 18 to warn them of the implications of routinely giving patients the drugs, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Prescribing the pills when they are not necessary is leading to a rise in the number of infections that are resistant to antibiotics, experts at the Stockholm-based centre said.

They warned that hospitals would be unable to carry out many procedures if antibiotics are powerless to protect patients from life-threatening infections.

Dominic Monnet, senior expert at the Scientific Advice unit at the ECDC, said: "If this wave of antibiotic resistance gets over us, we will not be able to do organ transplants, hip replacements, cancer chemotherapy, intensive care and neonatal care for premature babies.

"It is the whole span of modern medicine as we know it, that we will not be able to do if we lose antibiotics."

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% of people did not know that antibiotics do not work against viruses such as flu."

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 £175 million.

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

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) also issued guidance urging doctors not to prescribe them for minor illnesses such as coughs, colds, sore throats or ear infections.

A Department for Health spokeswoman said: "Antibiotics don't work on colds, most coughs or sore throats.

"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 view-source:GPs told to cut antibiotic prescriptions | News

mtone9317

For a year, I suffered a staff infection on my hands and legs. The doctor game me antibiotics, I took them and the infection went away...for three months and came back just as bad. I took the pills again with the same result. I talked to my next door neighbor, who is somewhat of a kook, but he gave me some herbal tea to drink and I put packs of tea on my sores. After a month the staff infection went away and never returned. The doctor told me I would die if I didn't take the pills, they were useless.

Marmite the Dog

I suffered from ear infections for years. The doc gave me a dose of antibiotics and I've not had one since.

That being said, most people (especially Thai and British doctors) are completely ignorant about overprescibing them. At least if the UK cuts their use, there'll be more for the Thais.

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Rural Surin

This has become quite the norm for medical practices worldwide, the overkill use of antibiotics {even for afflictions that shouldn't be use for}. As there are a wide and diverse type of antibiotics available for every specific ailment, in theory, one would expect a culture to be taken intitially to warrent the specific antibiotic. This is not practiced. How does any patient know what is right and what isn't - because the medical practioners haven't a clue. What should be a clarion for suspiscious types, would be the common practice of doctors whom prescribe antibiotics for viral infections and everything else - as they should know better.

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WESTERN CIVILISATION....???

Spitfire

It's this public culture/perception of "a pill for every ill" and is prevalent everywhere, certainly is here too. I view antibiotics as a last resort if it has gone properly south, colds/flu etc should be ridden out as then you gain natural immunity to that strand of flu forever. It's the usual public ignorance and arrogance, it's true that we are running out of antibiotics quicker than we can come up with new ones and we have enjoyed a golden age of medicine and medical possibilities due to their existance.

Rural Surin

Antibiotics for viruses?

Spitfire

Mostly no, most antibiotics are for bacteria, however, there are a half dozen or so for the millions of viruses.

(A note for the purists out there: strictly speaking, an "antibiotic" is a bacteria-fighting medicine that is derived from a biological source (plant, mold, or other bacteria). Since most people use the term "antibiotic" for any anti-infection medicine, so will I.