A review lead by doctors at Dundee University has identified new safe and effective ways to reduce the over-use of antibiotics in hospitals.
The Cochrane Review, which was updated on Thursday, concluded doctors who receive support in changing their prescribing behaviour will reduce overall the amount of antibiotics being prescribed.
Over reliance on antibiotics – which are used to treat bacterial infections such pneumonia – has resulted in public health problems.
Strains of infections, which were previously treatable through taking courses of antibiotics, have developed resilience to the drugs – meaning some illnesses are no longer cured through usage.
Lead author Professor Peter Davey, from the division of population health sciences at Dundee University, said: “This Cochrane Review shows a wide variety of different interventions have been successful in safely reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in hospitals.
“We do not need more studies to answer the question of whether these interventions reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, but we do need more research to understand why the most effective behaviour change techniques are not more widely adopted within hospital settings.
“Future research should instead focus on targeting treatment and assessing other measures of patient safety, and different interventions that explore the barriers and facilitators to implementation. Appropriate antibiotic use in hospitals should ensure effective treatment of patients with infection and reduce unnecessary prescriptions. Successful adoption of the interventions we have studied could have considerable impact on health service, policy, and future decision-making for patients.”
