ANTIBIOTICS
ANTIBIOTIC USE REDUCTION WELCOMED...BUT MORE WORK NEEDED
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR) CONTINUES TO MAKE HEADLINES AROUND THE WORLD. AMR THREATENS THE EFFECTIVE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF AN EVER-INCREASING RANGE OF INFECTIONS CAUSED BY BACTERIA, PARASITES, VIRUSES AND FUNGI, AND AN INCREASING NUMBER OF GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE DEVOTING EFFORTS TO A PROBLEM SO SERIOUS THAT IT THREATENS THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF MODERN MEDICINE.
common infections and minor injuries can kill – far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st century’.
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With such statements in mind, the findings of the recent Scottish Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Humans in 2015 report published by NHS National Services Scotland - which are indicative of the good work being done in this area in Scotland - are to be welcomed.
s World Health Organization (WHO) recently stated, ‘A post- antibiotic era – in which
The report revealed that:
* antibiotic use in primary care was the second lowest in twenty years and decreased by 2.4 per cent from 2014
* antibiotic use was 9.5 per cent lower than the highest rate on record in 2012
* antibiotic use in acute hospitals increased by 3.5 per cent from 2014 and continues an increasing trend from 2012 (9.4 per cent increase)
* carbapenem use increased by 6.5 per cent from 2014 and is 9.3 per cent higher than in 2012, however
26 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST
piperacillin-tazobactam use decreased by 7.9 per cent from 2014, the first reduction observed.
* E coli was the most frequent cause of Gram-negative bacteraemia
* nonsusceptibility to most antibiotics remained stable with the exception of a 6.1 per cent increase to co-amoxiclav and 8.6 per cent to piperacillin- tazobactam
* the same pattern was observed for K. pneumoniae, with a 14.8 per cent increase in non-susceptibility to coamoxiclav and a 28.7 per cent increase to piperacillin-tazobactam.
Considering the data on primary care use much of the reduction in antibiotic prescribing is attributed to the work being done by healthcare professionals across Scotland, and in particular pharmacists working as prescribing advisers. Their efforts have helped the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group (SAPG), with its key priority to implement interventions in primary care to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing focussing on self-limiting respiratory infections such as coughs and colds.
In 2015, the use of systemic antibiotics (excluding dental) was 2.4 per cent lower and 88, 490 fewer items than
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