The latest Health Matters infographics piece focusses on reducing inappropriate prescribing.
You can view the document online here or you can access resources such as presentations, leaflets and graphics here.
The document shows the scale of the problem, interventions thats work and the collaborative approach to action.
Antibiotic consumption increased by 6.5% over the past 4 years in England. Prescribing is measured as the defined daily dose (DDD) of antibiotics taken by an individual per 1,000 inhabitants per day. Prescribing increased from 21.6 DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day in England in 2011 to 23 DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day in 2014.
Many patients have been inappropriately prescribed an antibiotic, most commonly to treat:
- coughs and colds
- sore throats
- ear infections
Estimates suggest that as many as half of all patients who visit their GP with a cough or cold leave with a prescription for antibiotics. Viruses cause many of these infections, meaning antibiotics are of no use.
