COLDS & FLU


& coldS: fIghtINg RESIStANcE ANd flU


coUghS


thE tImE of YEAR hAS comE AgAIN WhEN oUR PhARmAcY coUNtERS ARE domINAtEd BY coUgh, cold ANd flU qUERIES. WIth thE PUBlIc BEINg URgEd to vISIt thEIR locAl commUNItY PhARmAcISt AS oPPoSEd to thEIR gP ANd PAtIENtS dEmANdINg fAStER moRE EffEctIvE tREAtmENtS, WE ARE lIKElY to BE UNdER moRE PRESSURE thAN EvER.


By Kurtis moffatt h


owever, this predicted increase in footfall also presents an opportunity to


focus on an issue which, if not addressed, will have major consequences: the ever growing and ever present matter of antibiotic resistance.


While the majority of coughs, colds and seasonal illnesses are caused by viruses, results published in a recent report by the World health organization (Who) show that an alarming 64 per cent of those involved in the study believe that they will have a faster resolution of their illness with antibiotic treatment, despite the fact that antibiotics have no effect on viral infections.


thus, gaps in understanding, misconceptions (32 per cent of those interviewed in the Who survey believe that when they feel better, they should stop the taking the prescribed antibiotic, as opposed to completing the course of treatment), and inappropriate prescribing have unfortunately contributed to the two thirds of the population believing this idea, leading to increased demand for treatment for even the slightest sign


26 - PhARmAcY IN focUS


of symptoms, and therefore the inappropriate and overuse of antibiotics in practice has amassed to something with great implications, potentially life threatening in our near future.


Antibiotic resistance occurs when a microorganism (in most cases bacteria) becomes resistant to an antibiotic to which it was originally sensitive. the rise of antibiotic resistance is now recognised as a global health crisis, and has become one of the greatest challenges for public health today, reaching dangerously high levels across the world.


It is compromising the ability to treat infectious diseases, causing them to persist for longer periods of time, increasing the risk of spread to others and additionally stalling medical advancements (despite the fact that a disturbing 64 per cent of those involved in the Who study believed that experts in the industry would solve the problem before it becomes 'too serious').


If antibiotics are lost, then even the simplest of infections could become life threatening once again, and as a recent report in 2014 displayed, if


resistant infections are not tackled now, they could kill an extra ten million people across the world annually by 2050.


While recently there has been a push to increase the discovery of novel antibiotics, until now the focus has been on prevention rather than cure, as no new class of antibiotic has been discovered in the past 30 years.


With cold and flu season imminent, it is a priority to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics in practice (74 per cent of antibiotics used in the UK are prescribed in general practice), and, as pharmacists, we have an important role not only in this aspect but also in patient education; as 76 per cent of Who study respondents believed that antibiotic resistance occurs when the body becomes resistant to antibiotics as opposed to the bacteria causing the infection, while more than 57 per cent of those involved in the survey felt that there was not much they could do to stop antibiotic resistance.


Pharmacists therefore have an important role in reducing antibiotic resistance in many aspects. Some measures in community practice include improving patient


understanding and education, reducing infection incidence and optimising the use of the prescribed antibiotic treatments.


monitoring antibiotic use is also vital for common conditions such as coughs, throat, sinus or throat infections; and we need to assess is the antibiotic that has been prescribed the most appropriate for the infection according to local guidelines, is the dose, route, frequency and duration appropriate for that patient.


We, as pharmacists, also need to consider that, if a patient presents a prescription that is post-dated or is presented several days or weeks after the date of issue, is the antibiotic that has been prescribed still required, or is it clinically relevant for the condition at all?


counselling is just as crucial with acute antibiotic treatment as that of chronic condition medications, such as completion of the course of prescribed treatment in order to maximise its therapeutic effect, or counselling on drug-drug interactions, particularly that of the fluoroquinolones and macrolide classes of antibiotics. >


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