Australians urged to curb antibiotic use

WHY WE MUST STOP OVER USING ANTIBIOTICS:

* Overuse and misuse of antibiotics is increasing the problem of antibiotic resistance.

* The more antibiotics are used, the more chance bacteria have to become resistant to them.

* Antibiotics only work on bacteria, not other infections like viruses that cause colds and flu.

* A new survey reveals more than half of GPs prescribe antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections to meet patient expectations.

* And 20 per cent of consumers surveyed said they would expect to be prescribes antibiotics for a cold or flu.

* Examples of bacteria that have developed resistance to a number of antibiotics include strains of E. coli (cause of many urinary tract infections) and golden staph (a common cause of skin infections).

(Source: NPS MedicineWise. Antibiotic Awareness Week 2014 in Australia runs from 17-23 November. The survey included the feedback of 625 doctors and 332 consumers)