Johnson launches new campaign to limit use of antibiotics.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson has today declared that

it is time to stop the unnecessary use of prescription

antibiotics which, it is estimated, cost the NHS in

excess of £1.7billion per year.

Over-use of broad-spectrum antibiotics has led to an

increase in bacterial resistance and the development

of “superbugs” such as MRSA. Symptoms such as

colds, sore throats and flu – for which antibiotics have

often been prescribed – are caused by viruses rather

than infections and are therefore unsuited to antibiotic

treatment in any case.

Mr Johnson is concerned that unnecessary use of

antibiotics is fuelling the spread of resistant bugs such

as MRSA and today announced a £270million campaign

called Clean, Safe Care to help doctors adopt less

“knee-jerk” methods of prescribing. The campaign

also aims at providing additional funding for infection

control measures and antibiotic specialist pharmacists.

Mr Johnson also wants all hospital inpatients being

screened for MRSA by 2009.

The Save our NHS Group has always campaigned for

more effective use of antibiotics on grounds of clinical

safety and cost-effectiveness. We have been concerned about prescribing practices for some time and, in particular, a willingness for GPs to prescribe antibiotics in spite of current research showing overuse of antibiotics to be counter-productive. We have maintained that, unless prescribing habits change, antibiotics will eventually cease to be effective.

We have also raised concerns about the use of antibiotics in agriculture and the unwillingness of pharmaceutical companies to invest the necessary money into antibiotic research which they perceive as unlikely to yield significant profits.

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