Education/restriction schemes ‘can help avoid overuse of antibiotics’

Prescribers of antibiotics need additional guidance in order to stop them being used inappropriately, according to experts.

A review published in The Cochrane Library concluded that antibiotic resistance in bacteria is being driven partly by this type of medication being used unnecessarily.

As a result, researchers at the University of Dundee believe restrictions on their use should be put in place, while prescribers should be given additional training on when they should be proposed as a viable treatment option.

Peter Davey, lead researcher on the review, commented: "The fact that restrictive methods work well is important because it supports restriction of antibiotic use when the need is urgent, such as in an outbreak situation."

The study revealed that antibiotic use is currently increasing in hospitals in many countries. Estimates suggest that as many as one-third of prescriptions might not be necessary and deemed to be inappropriate.

According to the World Health Organization, beta-lactamase NDM-1 is one of the newest resistance mechanisms that has emerged in recent years capable of rendering "powerful antibiotics" ineffective.