Don't ask GPs for antibiotics, new health campaign urges

[nitpicker]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/23/dont-ask-gps-for-antibiotics-new-health-campaign-urges

Don't ask GPs for antibiotics, new health campaign urges

Press Association

Monday 23 October 2017 05.16 BST

People are being urged not to ask their doctor for antibiotics as part of a new campaign aimed at tackling growing resistance to the drugs. An estimated 5,000 people die every year in England because antibiotics no longer work for some infections, according to Public Health England (PHE), which has launched the Keep Antibiotics Working campaign.
(snip)

The government wants to see a further drop in the number of antibiotic prescriptions issues by GPs to tackle the threat from resistance. Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria change in such a way that the medication used to treat them – in this case antibiotics – becomes ineffective.

The PHE’s new campaign tells people to always trust their doctor, nurse or pharmacist on when to take antibiotics. It says that if they are prescribed, they should be taken as directed and never saved for later or shared with others.

Antibiotics do not work on many common conditions, such as colds, flu, earache, sore throats and some chest infections. However, people should see their GP if they have prolonged symptoms and develop other issues such as a sickness, a very high temperature or shortness of breath.
(snip)

[still_one]

1. It is the physician that determines the necessity of an antibiotic. An even bigger problem that has

accelerated this issue, and which is being addressed extremely slowly is the abuse of antibiotics given to farm animals. In fact I would argue that has been a huge portion of the antibiotic resistance that has occurred.

Also, those countries that allow someone to obtain antibiotics without a prescription are a large part of the problem. This occurs in a large number of Asian countries, and is why antibiotic resistance seems to be an even greater problem there.

People should talk the full course of the antibiotic, and not stop it if they start to feel better. That of course does not apply if the patient experience an untoward side effect from the antibiotic.

I am glad at least the article puts in the escape clause that they should see their doctors if they have prolonged symptoms.