GPs and hospitals are unnecessarily prescribing antibiotics

A recent survey shows that antibiotics and narcotics are often over-prescribed, with some experts worldwide suggesting that they’re frequently prescribed when they’re not necessary, and may actually do more harm than good.

The survey revealed that patients use antibiotics or narcotics despite guidelines showing little effectiveness of taking them. There is rising concern in the U.K. that the NHS are providing patients with services and products that aren’t needed, which is concerning from both a health and a cost perspective.

The Kings Fund, a U.K. health charity, highlights that the overuse of medicines is becoming a major issue. The Senior Policy Adviser at the charity notes that overuse happens when healthcare institutions deliver products and services even though the harm may outweigh the good.

The overuse of antibiotics and narcotics can pose obvious and serious risks – not just for patients, as they continue to rely on the medicine and potentially are building a resistance to them, but to the public generally. You can easily argue there is a waste of resources that could be reallocated elsewhere. It’s also bad for patients and individuals who need care but aren’t able to receive it due to a lack of resources and funds.

Do antibiotics actually help?

It’s common knowledge that the NHS prescribes antibiotics for common colds, coughs, and sore throats. Some evidence shows that antibiotics are not effective at all for people with those symptoms, but this doesn’t stop GPs prescribing them – knowing full well it may not make a difference to them at all.

The survey found that 27-per-cent of doctors said antibiotics will do no good, and instead can cause patients to build up a resistance against antibiotics.

Public Health England’s concern

A report by the Public Health England, published in 2014, highlights that prescribed antibiotics are increasing on a yearly basis. However, the report notes that the issue has been circulating for decades. The English surveillance programme for antimicrobial utilisation and resistance (ESPAUR) report produces findings to show antimicrobial prescribing has increased by 6 per cent between the period of 2010 and 2013.

U.K. compared with the EU

When comparing with our EU counterparts, on average, the U.K. prescribes twice as much antibiotics in hospitals than in the EU. As a result of this concern, the Chief Medical Officer stressed the issue in a report, which led to the U.K.’s cross-government five-year (2013-18) antimicrobial resistance strategy.