10th July 2001

ICGP supports the call for a more discriminating approach to the use of antibiotics

10th July 2001

The Irish College of General Practitioners welcomes the recent publication of the National Disease Surveillance Centre's Report on Antibiotic Usage* as an important strategic document.  Members of the ICGP are supportive of the main points to emerge from the report and in particular strongly support the call for a more discriminating approach to the use of antibiotics by both Doctors and their Patients. 

Individual College members report themselves to be under increased pressure to prescribe antibiotics.  Increased pressure may come about from a diminished tolerance among the community for even minor illness.  People increasingly lead busy and stressful lives and frequently feel they cannot afford to miss work; parents want children better as soon as possible so they can return them to childcare facilities; those caring for the elderly want to ensure they give the best care possible.  All of these factors frequently emerge in GP Consultations and make the decision not to prescribe antibiotics more difficult.  The general public need to understand why antibiotics are not always the best answer for illnesses such as sore throats, cold and flu.

The College believes the discussion on antibiotic usage requires to be broadened somewhat and that it is essential to include total antibiotic usage in the community and especially antibiotics used in the agricultural sector, as this has health implications due to antibiotic residues in food.

The emergence of serious antibiotic resistance is clearly an issue of concern. In particular, the emergence of strains resistant to second and third line antibiotics, in hospitals, requires that action should be taken.

Proper and adequate funding is required to implement the reports recommendations for General Practice and to enable General Practitioners contribute to the success of this important national strategy.

*A Strategy for the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland (SARI) - Report of the Subgroup of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Disease Surveillance Centre.