Gov Urges Limit On Antibiotics

Doctors and nurses are being asked to limit prescriptions for antibiotics to prevent resistance to the drugs developing among patients.

The Department of Health on Friday published guidance on the use of antibiotics in hospitals to coincide with European Antibiotics Awareness Day.

The new guidance, ‘Start Smart, Then Focus’, provides hospital prescribers with practical advice on "antimicrobial prescribing".

The Government said the guidance would mean patients receive the right drug, at the right time, at the right dose and the right duration for the individual - avoiding unnecessary lengthy duration of antibiotic treatment and inappropriate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, said: “Many antibiotics are currently prescribed and used when they don’t need to be – meaning antibiotics lose their effectiveness at a rapidly increasing rate.

“It is important we use antibiotics in the right way if we are to get the best outcome for the patient, slow down resistance and make sure these important medicines continue to stay effective for ourselves and for future generations.”

Bacteria are extremely fast at adapting to their environment, and the overperscription of antibiotics is causing bacteria to become resistant.

Some antibiotics aren’t as effective as they used to be because the bacteria they are designed to tackle have become resistant to them. These important medicines need to be used wisely to maximise the NHS’s ability to treat infections in the future.

According to Patient.co.uk, antibiotics do not kill viruses and should not be used to treat them. Other reasons to avoid using antibiotics are their side-effects, such as diarrhoea, rashes and feeling sick.

A spokesperson for Patient.co.uk said: "Overuse of antibiotics when they have not been necessary has led to some bacteria becoming resistant to them. This means that some antibiotics might not be as effective when they are really needed."

(DW)