1 in 5 expect antibiotics for coughs or colds:

Of the 1013 Australians surveyed nationwide, 4 in 5 also said they expect a prescription from their GP when they have an ear, nose, throat or chest infection, with more than half (51%) saying they would ask their GP for one.

Requests for antibiotics to treat their child’s cold or cough were double that of parents who would ask for one themselves (14% vs 6%), with fathers more likely to ask than mothers (22% vs 9%).

The survey also revealed a plethora of misconceptions when it comes to antibiotics with only half of respondents knowing that bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Only 40% knew antibiotics should not be taken for viruses and many (40%) did not know that taking antibiotics when they’re not needed contributes to antibiotic resistance. More than half did not know resistance increases when you don’t complete the course as directed and in general, the youth audience had less knowledge.

NPS clinical adviser Dr Danielle Stowasser says these results indicate people may be thinking about or taking antibiotics even when they don’t really need them.

“Australians are amongst some of the highest users of antibiotics in the developed world, with around 22 million prescriptions written every year. If at least 35,000 Australians pledge to join the fight against antibiotic resistance this will help bring our use in line with the average of other OECD countries,” says Dr Stowasser.

“Since antibiotics were first used in treatment, they have become one of our most important weapons against bacterial infections. But over time, because we have been overusing and misusing these medicines, bacteria have built up resistance to antibiotics, meaning infections caused by these bugs are becoming harder and harder to treat.”

The research was released as a new NPS campaign against antibiotic resistance launches.

The campaign encourages all Australians to become antibiotic ‘resistance fighters’ and join the fight against antibiotic resistance.  

NPS has set up a Facebook page — www.facebook.com/NPSMedicinewise — where from Monday 23 April people can pledge to take some simple actions to help fight antibiotic resistance.