Pharmacy Daily | Antibiotic overload

Researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) are undertaking a pilot study aiming to reduce antibiotic resistance in Australia by decreasing the quantity of antibiotics prescribed by doctors. Most antibiotics are prescribed in a general practice setting and therefore GPs are the best way to address the problem. “Prescribers are well-placed to convey to patients that they are twice as likely to carry resistant bacteria after a course of antibiotics as someone who has not taken them,” said study co-author Professor Charles Gilks from UQ. Resistant bacteria can persist for up to 12 months after antibiotic use, he said, but “with no further exposure to antibiotics they will disappear over time. “In order to preserve one of medicine’s most precious and long-standing resources, GPs must reduce antibiotic use and only prescribe it where appropriate,” he commented.

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