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UK report: Antibiotics overused not working

A February, 2002 report by industrial analysts Datamonitor, shows that as antibiotics are being overused in the United Kingdom their effectiveness is decreasing. This has the effect of accelerating the development of antibiotic resistant strains. Despite many years of warnings, doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics for even minor infections such as respiratory tract infections. In the UK, the report says, doctors rely on two types of antibiotics, penicillins and macrolides. As these drugs become more and more useless due to bacterial resistance, stronger and more expensive drugs are needed and the cycle continues. The report says that currently, 15% of patients taking antibiotics have to have another round of treatment with another antibiotic because the first one proved ineffective. Why do doctors keep writing antibiotic prescriptions even though they are aware of the problem? Apparently doctors are too busy to take the time to explain why antibiotic use may be dangerous. "For a time-stretched GP, it is, instead, far easier to take one minute off to print a prescription," the report says. "Doctors find that they simply do not have the time to explain why antibiotic treatment could actually do more harm than good." Commentary: The doctor's too busy to explain? What nonsense. Your doctor's responsibility is to make sure you know what's going on with your health. If you ever have a doctor dismiss one of your questions with an I'mtoo-busy or it's-too-complicated-you-wouldn't-understandjust-trust-me" attitude, get up and run out of that office. No matter who they are or how good they are, if they won't explain things to you, you don't need them.

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