GPs are still prescribing antibiotics for up to 80% of cases of sore throat, otitis media, upper respiratory tract infections, and sinusitis, despite the fact that official guidance warns against this practice, according to an analysis of the world's largest primary care database of consultations and prescriptions, published in a supplement to the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. This practice is hindering efforts to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance.
GPs contribute to antibiotic resistance
"Many doctors believe that by giving an antibiotic they might be doing some good or at least covering the possibility of a missed diagnosis of significant bacterial disease, with little thought given to the possibility of doing harm," explains Douglas Fleming, a GP and member of the UK's Specialist Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance, a government advisory body.
