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How should you manage this elderly woman with recurrent UTIs? ... idance points out that there are other measures that can often be used to reduce prescribing of low-dose antibiotic prophylaxis (and the subsequent increased risk of antimicrobial resistance) – single dose prophylaxis can be considered for patients where sexual intercourse is the usual trigger for their UTIs, and non-antibiotic prophylaxis (see answer below) should always be considered and/or trialled before embarking on ... Date: 26-03-2026 Categories: • Clinical areas • Clinical features • Elderly care • Renal medicine, urology and men's health
GPs to trial alternative antibiotics for UTIs as part of research programme A new research programme is looking into whether encouraging GPs to use alternative antibiotics for urinary tract infections (UTIs) can help reduce antimicrobial resistance. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that the IPAP-UTI programme has been designed to improve how UTIs are treated in primary care and to tackle the growing problem of antimicrobial resista ... Date: 20-01-2026 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics
Antibiotic-resistant infections increasing amidst rise in non-GP prescribing ... ate of resistant bacteraemia is 47% higher in the most deprived fifth of the population compared with the least deprived, a gap that has widened by 18% since 2019. A national action plan for antimicrobial resistance was published in 2024 setting out the Government’s five-year strategy, including an ambition to cut total antimicrobial use in humans by 5% by 2029, compared to 2019. Professor Susan Hopkins, chief exec ... Date: 13-11-2025 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy
Paediatric cervical lymphadenopathy – myths and facts for GPs ... lucloxacillin or co-amoxiclav is appropriate. Ultrasound can help identify suppuration if abscess is suspected. Over-use of antibiotics carries real risk. Unnecessary prescriptions contribute to antimicrobial resistance, disturb the gut microbiome and can cause adverse effects such as diarrhoea and candidiasis. They also reinforce parental expectations that antibiotics are ‘needed for lumps’, complicating future consu ... Date: 16-10-2025 Categories: • Cancer • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy • Paediatrics
GPs wrote over one million fewer prescriptions for antibiotics, latest data shows GPs have substantially reduced the number of antibiotics prescribed, according to a Government report on progress towards tackling antimicrobial resistance. Figures show 1.1 million fewer antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed from general practice in England in 2023 to 2024 compared with the previous year. It equates to a reduction of 3.2% on 34 ... Date: 25-09-2025 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy
Children and babies with pneumonia should have antibiotics for three days only, says NICE ... committee said evidence showed three days was as effective as five in children with no difference in adverse outcomes including readmission. It added that overuse of antibiotics is associated with antimicrobial resistance and is a national and global priority. Shorter courses of antibiotics are becoming increasingly recognised as standard practice for many common infections, including urinary tract infections and a ... Date: 10-04-2025 Categories: • Paediatrics • Respiratory
Government progress on antimicrobial resistance 'limited', warns NAO The Government has made ‘limited progress’ in achieving its vision of containing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the public spending watchdog has warned. The National Audit Office (NAO) investigated AMR in light of it being a ‘serous public health threat’, after the Covid-19 pandemic showed that the ... Date: 26-02-2025 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Covid-19 • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory
Government 'acting on' GPs being 'unwilling' to refer to Pharmacy First ... sp;led GPs to raise concerns surrounding antibiotic stewardship, however NHS England has said it will monitor the service for any impact on antimicrobial resistance. The latest NHS Business Services Authority monthly dispensing data shows that 3.9m Pharmacy First consultations were claimed for between the launch of the service and October last year. And NHS England has said that only 8% of pati ... Date: 04-02-2025 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • Politics • Respiratory • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics
UKHSA widens list of first-option antibiotics GPs can prescribe UK public health officials have updated the list of which antibiotics GPs should prescribe and when, as part of efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance. It has meant some shuffling of antibiotic choices between the ‘access, watch and reserve’ or AWaRe categories set out by the World Health Organisation. All first-generation cephalosporins are ... Date: 29-01-2025 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory
Only 8% of Pharmacy First patients are sent back to general practice, says NHSE ... pply antibiotics, which led GPs to raise concerns surrounding antibiotic stewardship, however NHS England has said it will monitor the service for any impact on antimicrobial resistance. Pallavi Dawda, head of clinical strategy for community pharmacy at NHS England, reassured GPs on this issue again during the webinar. She said: ‘We take the risk of AMR very seriously, and we are reviewing ... Date: 20-12-2024 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • Respiratory
WHO raises alarm about growing rates of tuberculosis globally ... nding shortfalls and catastrophic financial burden on those affected, climate change, conflict, migration and displacement, pandemics, and drug-resistant tuberculosis, a significant driver of antimicrobial resistance’. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added. ‘The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it and treat it.’ Dr Esther ... Date: 03-12-2024 Categories: • Respiratory
More than 39 million people could die from antibiotic resistance by 2050 More than 39 million people around the world could die from antibiotic-resistant infections over the next 25 years, researchers have warned. Analysis of trends by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project showed that one million people died a year from resistant infections between 1990 and 2021. Writing in The Lancet, they estimated that by 2050, this will have increased by 70% to 1. ... Date: 25-09-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory
OTC nasal sprays can reduce infection and cut antibiotic use ... thampton, who led the exercise and stress reduction part and co-led the study, said: ‘If widely used these interventions could potentially have a valuable role for reducing antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance, and in reducing the impact of respiratory viruses for patients, the health service and the wider economy.’ A version of this story was first published by Pulse's sister title The Pharmacist Date: 19-07-2024 Categories: • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy
Stephen Kinnock named minister responsible for general practice ... n, who will cover wider issues in the department’s portfolio. Mr Gwynne, the MP for Gorton and Denton, has taken on responsibility for public health and prevention, covering issues such as antimicrobial resistance, addiction and long-term conditions. Baroness Merron has joined DHSC from the House of Lords, and will be responsible for patient experience and safety, mental health, and women’s health. ... Date: 15-07-2024 Categories: • Politics
Pharmacy First 'will fail' if people 'keep having to return to their GP', MPs warn ... ould drive antibiotic resistance are so far ‘unfounded’. NHS England has said it will closely monitor the scheme's impact on antimicrobial resistance. Date: 29-05-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory • Workload
LMCs call for 'appropriate controls' on AI in general practice ... overnment has hailed the potential of AI in boosting NHS efficiency, most recently saying that GPs will be ‘supported’ with new technologies such as AI to reduce antibiotic prescribing and tackle antimicrobial resistance. But digital experts have warned that GPs using AI need to be aware of liability risks and maintain their ability to ‘critically appraise’ the technology. Speaking at the Pulse Live conference earl ... Date: 23-05-2024 Categories: • LMCs conferences • Technology • Workload
GPs will use AI to reduce antibiotic prescribing under Government five-year plan GPs will be 'supported' with new technologies such as AI to reduce antibiotic prescribing and tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the Government has announced. A new national plan for combatting AMR has laid out 30 commitments for the next five years, including several relating to GP practices and other healthcare set ... Date: 08-05-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Technology
Significant proportion of RTIs given more than one antibiotic course ... escription, the researchers said. Respiratory tract infections also account for 60% of antibiotic prescribing in primary care globally and have been identified as one of the key drivers of antimicrobial resistance, they added. This is despite previous research showing that for most child and adult patients with chest infections, particularly those without chronic lung disease, even a single antibiotic course is unl ... Date: 16-04-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory
GP concern as Pharmacy First 'directs patients back to general practice' ... o raise concerns surrounding antibiotic stewardship, however NHS England has said it will monitor the service for any impact on antimicrobial resistance. Berkshire West LMC chair Dr Mark Green told Pulse he didn’t encounter issues so far, adding: ‘It's still early days since it started, I guess. So you'd hope any issues get ironed out swiftly.’ As part of the service, community pharmacy IT systems&nb ... Date: 14-02-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory • Workload
GPs can start referring patients to Pharmacy First next week ... wed to prescribe antibiotics, which GPs to raise concerns surrounding antibiotic stewardship, however NHS England has said it will monitor the service for any impact on antimicrobial resistance. The National Institute for Health Care Research is also leading an evaluation of the service that ‘will include any implications’ on antimicrobial resistance. More than 10,000 pharmacies have registered to deliver the servi ... Date: 25-01-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory • Workload
GPs to only prescribe fluoroquinolone antibiotics as last resort, says MHRA ... ise the risk of long-lasting or disabling reactions. Meanwhile, NHS England said it will monitor the Pharmacy First service after its launch for any potential impact on antimicrobial resistance. When the scheme was announced GPs told Pulse that there are concerns around antibiotic stewardship. Date: 22-01-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Mental health, pain and addiction
Pharmacy First programme to be monitored for antimicrobial resistance impact NHS England will monitor the Pharmacy First service after its launch for any potential impact on antimicrobial resistance. The scheme, which will launch on 31 January subject to the ‘appropriate digital systems being in place’, will allow pharmacies to consult and prescribe in relation to seven common conditions, in ... Date: 18-12-2023 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing
Is Pharmacy First... a good idea? ... s of GPs. So shifting the treatment of common conditions to fully qualified pharmacists seems pretty sensible. I’m not ignorant of the potential drawbacks, the most obvious of which is antimicrobial resistance. GPs have traditionally been (wrongly) accused of increasing antimicrobial resistance. Yet GPs are, in fact, best placed to reduce antimicrobial resistance. By transferring their workload to pharmacists, there i ... Date: 22-11-2023 Categories: • Editor's blog
Will GPs benefit from pharmacies taking on 'common conditions' prescribing? ... cy England (CPE), which has negotiated the PGDs, said these allow community pharmacists to supply antimicrobials ‘only where clinically appropriate’ without ‘increasing the risks of antimicrobial resistance’. But GPs have expressed concern, especially around the cost of the scheme. Doctors' Association UK GP spokesperson Dr Steve Taylor says: ‘Could similar funding have been provided to GP practices? A lot of the ... Date: 17-11-2023 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory • Sexual health • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics • Workload
UTI prevention campaign launched to help avoid serious complications ... g, which can all help avoid preventable infections like UTIs, that if left untreated can become serious infections and can lead to admission to hospital.’ Dr Colin Brown, deputy director for antimicrobial resistance at UKHSA, said while UTIs were incredibly common some people do go on to develop much more serious complications, such as kidney or bloodstream infections. ‘These more serious consequences are more comm ... Date: 12-10-2023 Categories: • Elderly care • Renal medicine, urology and men's health
‘More guidance needed’ on probable overprescribing of antibiotics for insect bites ... tibiotics were prescribed, more research is needed to help clinicians and patients decide which may benefit from the treatment and which can be left alone, especially given the population risk of antimicrobial resistance they concluded. The research shows this is not a trivial issue, said study lead Dr Samuel Finnikin, a GP in Sutton Coldfield and researcher at the Institute for Applied Health Research at the Universi ... Date: 21-09-2023 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Long-term conditions and prescribing
More diagnostic testing needed to tackle antibiotic resistance, Government told ... onsultation highlighted. It follows a call for evidence in November to inform the next five-year national action plan to tackle the problem. In all 81% of the 200 respondents said the threat of antimicrobial resistance has increased since the last plan was published in 2019. The problem is being driven by inappropriate antibiotic use, poor prescribing practices and general overuse in both humans and animals, res ... Date: 17-08-2023 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Long-term conditions and prescribing
Spironolactone safe and effective in treating acne in women, study finds ... of women affected by persistent acne. ‘The treatment provides a valuable alternative to antibiotics and ensures clinicians can also better avoid the harms that can arise from antimicrobial resistance.’ Date: 19-05-2023 Categories: • Dermatology and wound care • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics
Can pharmacists really absorb GP workload? ... P partner in East London and a director of Greenlight Pharmacy, says he is ‘not opposed to pharmacies having a greater role’ but flags risks around appropriate training, antimicrobial resistance and pharmacists’ integration with GP systems. He also says the 3% reduction in GP appointments will not make a massive difference: ‘My concern is that they are putting around £640m into this scheme - would that money be bette ... Date: 10-05-2023 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • GP recovery plan • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Workload
Four new UTI tests could help fight antimicrobial resistance Four new tests for diagnosing UTIs could soon be considered for use in the NHS to help fight against antimicrobial resistance. A National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) committee has issued draft guidance calling for further research into four promising tests which could produce results in under an hour ... Date: 27-03-2023 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Renal medicine, urology and men's health • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics
Target to reduce antibiotic prescribing hit years ahead of schedule ... ropriately and continue to drive down infections overall. Earlier this month, NHS England asked GPs to consider reviewing their prescribing of antibiotics as part of a new drive to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Figures from 2021 also show antibiotic resistant infections have started to rise once more, although rates are still below pre-pandemic levels. There were 148 severe antibiotic resistant infecti ... Date: 29-11-2022 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing
NHS England asks GPs to review prescribing of antibiotics NHS England has asked GPs to consider reviewing their prescribing of antibiotics as part of a new drive to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In an email bulletin sent to practices today, it suggested that this aims to reduce GP workload. The bulletin said that infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens are ‘associate ... Date: 18-11-2022 Categories: • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy • Long-term conditions and prescribing
Making antibiotics more accessible ‘not the way to reduce GP pressure’, says BMA ... practices,’ he said. Just four months ago, the Government set out a new commitment to mitigate ‘just in case’ antibiotic prescribing in general practice as part of its strategy to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Dr Van Mellaerts also said that making it easier for others to prescribe antibiotics was not the way to reduce the need for GP appointments or wider pressures in general practice. Instead, he urged for ... Date: 17-10-2022 Categories: • Breaking news
Patients with recurrent C. diff to receive faecal bacteria transplant ... me time balancing the need to offer the best care with value for money. ‘Use of this treatment will also help reduce the reliance on antibiotics and in turn reduce the chances of antimicrobial resistance, which supports NICE’s guidance on good antimicrobial stewardship.’ Date: 31-08-2022 Categories: • Gastroenterology and obesity
Pulse Checker: GP workload to be eased by deporting GPs, says Patel ... cs to patients who request them, say ministers The Government has recommended GPs only give antibiotics to patients who ‘really want them’ as part of its strategy for fighting antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest dangers facing the country, but ministers say an even bigger danger is that they could lose the next election. Health secretary Steve Barclay [is he still ... Date: 08-07-2022 Categories: • Pulse checker
Government to curb 'just in case' prescribing of antibiotics by GPs The Government has set out a new commitment to mitigate ‘just in case’ antibiotic prescribing in general practice as part of its strategy to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Several new additions have been made to a revised national action plan that set out how the UK would achieve its ambition of containing and controlling antimicrobial resistance by 2040. Among the ... Date: 08-06-2022 Categories: • Respiratory
Pulse Checker: Plans to send chronic patients to Rwanda, and GPs to perform brain surgery to help secondary care ... . We only do it because, er, we understand the mechanisms of the body better than you. 4 Stop prescribing antibiotics for everything – the more antimicrobial resistance there is, the less we are able to use them to fob off our non-fee paying patients. 5 Make an effort when wearing work clothes – while a bow tie is essential, we can spot a clip-on a mile off. 6 If you have tried everything you can for a pa ... Date: 27-05-2022 Categories: • Pulse checker
GPs urged to use point-of-care CRP testing to reduce antibiotic prescribing ... of point of care CRP testing. ‘Without national guidance, the PCRS panel expressed concern that the NHS could face “postcode diagnostics” and, possibly, differences in antimicrobial resistance patterns’, it concluded. Date: 11-05-2022 Categories: • Respiratory
Overworked GPs more likely to prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics, finds study ... al modelling and GP survey data, the researchers concluded that growing pressure on GPs had a direct impact on the number of broad-spectrum antibiotics prescriptions, which are more likely to lead to antimicrobial resistance in the population. The team, from the University of Manchester and the University of Southern Denmark, used data from The National GP Worklife Survey to assess GPs’ self-reported pressure from 201 ... Date: 17-01-2022 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Workload
GPs can safely write delayed antibiotic scripts for RTIs, finds study ... when no antibiotics are prescribed. The report, published in the BMJ, said ‘delayed antibiotic prescribing... can be used to help reduce antibiotic use’, which is ‘crucial’ to reduce antimicrobial resistance, particularly in primary care where antibiotics are most prescribed. Previous clinical trials have also suggested that delayed prescribing for respiratory tract infections is probably safe and effective for mo ... Date: 28-04-2021 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory
Two antibiotics removed from primary care Covid treatment trial ... sence of suspected bacterial pneumonia, so this practice should now be re-considered – particularly because overuse of antibiotics in the community can fuel the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. ‘PRINCIPLE is one of the first trials to report about doxycycline for Covid-19 worldwide, and as this drug is in common use for this condition, this should help guide prescribing decisions for Covid-19.’ A version of t ... Date: 26-01-2021 Categories: • Covid-19
Honey is ‘more effective’ than antibiotics for coughs, finds study ... ymptom score’, compared with ‘usual care’, the study said. It added: ‘Honey is more effective and less harmful than usual care alternatives and avoids causing harm through antimicrobial resistance.’ The researchers recommended honey as a ‘widely-available’ and cheap alternative for GPs who ‘wish to prescribe for URTI’ but are faced with ‘very few effective options’. They added: ‘Research shows that most usual care therap ... Date: 18-08-2020 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing
The impending antibioticlypse ... ing antibiotics, only the opposite. The result will be an all-u-can-eat antibiotic policy, with the risk of driving a coach-and-horses through current efforts to reduce antimicrobial resistance. Unless, of course, we run out of them, which might just happen. Our only way of avoiding the end-of-prescribing-as-we know-it is for the apocalyptic horsemen to be headed off at the pass. Which means public health being brave e ... Date: 23-07-2020 Categories: • Copperfield • Long-term conditions and prescribing
GPs should consider risks of hospital admission for pneumonia patients, says NICE ... ic use may reduce availability if used indiscriminately, and broad-spectrum antibiotics in particular may lead to Clostridioides difficile infection and antimicrobial resistance.’ However, GPs should prescribe antibiotics for those who can be treated in the community if it’s ‘unclear’ whether the cause is viral or bacterial or they are ‘at high risk of complications’, NICE said. Oral corticosteroids should not ‘routinely ... Date: 09-04-2020 Categories: • Referrals • Respiratory • Uncategorised
Pneumonia: How to manage in the community during Covid-19 - 3 April ... otic use may reduce availability if used indiscriminately, and broad-spectrum antibiotics in particular may lead to Clostridioides difficile infection and antimicrobial resistance. 4.7 Offer an oral antibiotic for treatment of pneumonia in people who can or wish to be treated in the community if: the likely cause is bacterial or it is unclear whether the cause is bacterial or viral and symptoms are more concerning ... Date: 06-04-2020 Categories: • Covid-19 • Covid-19 resources • Respiratory • Uncategorised
CPD - Case-based: rational prescribing of antibiotics ... t (OECD) noted that around 17% of bacterial infection in OECD countries are resistant to antibiotics, with this number rising to a third in some countries. They predict 2.4million deaths due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Europe, Australia and North America between now and 2050. The Center for Disease Control in the United States has a similarly gloomy outlook, telling us that there are two million cases of resista ... Date: 09-03-2020 Categories: • CPD • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy • Long-term conditions and prescribing
The career-ending Catch 22 decision ... According to one of the best authorities on the subject, Lord Jim O’Neill, diagnostics are the single most important intervention one can bring to solving antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Both he and the former chief medical officer - now UK special envoy on AMR - Dame Sally Davies, told the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee that this was pivotal, and yet, of course, little progress has been made on devel ... Date: 29-01-2020 Categories: • David Turner • Uncategorised
Media reports of sepsis deaths 'make parents pressure GPs for antibiotics' ... t the health risks associated with overuse. ‘Public health communications about sepsis awareness must acknowledge the wider implications of unnecessary antibiotic use as a driver of antimicrobial resistance, and ensure effective treatment for sepsis in the longer term.’ Professor Azeem Majeed, professor of primary care at Imperial College London, said conflicting media messages could cause confusion amongst patients. He ... Date: 23-01-2020 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Uncategorised
New test for primary care could diagnose UTIs in 25 minutes via smartphone camera ... area. Last summer, the University of Leeds’ Dr Mar Pujades Rodriguez said that existing laboratory tests for UTIs bore little impact on antibiotic prescribing. Meanwhile, antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern, with a study last year of almost one million consultations revealing that 80% of GP antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory conditions ‘are too long’. Date: 07-01-2020 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Renal medicine, urology and men's health • Uncategorised
Up to 43% of US antibiotics could be unnecessary prescriptions, says study ... ant infections increased over the same period. It came after a pledge by the Government to cut antibiotic prescribing by a ‘further 15%’ in January as part of a 20-year vision for antimicrobial resistance. Date: 12-12-2019 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Uncategorised

How should you manage this elderly woman with recurrent UTIs? ... idance points out that there are other measures that can often be used to reduce prescribing of low-dose antibiotic prophylaxis (and the subsequent increased risk of antimicrobial resistance) – single dose prophylaxis can be considered for patients where sexual intercourse is the usual trigger for their UTIs, and non-antibiotic prophylaxis (see answer below) should always be considered and/or trialled before embarking on ... Date: 26-03-2026 Categories: • Clinical areas • Clinical features • Elderly care • Renal medicine, urology and men's health

GPs to trial alternative antibiotics for UTIs as part of research programme A new research programme is looking into whether encouraging GPs to use alternative antibiotics for urinary tract infections (UTIs) can help reduce antimicrobial resistance. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that the IPAP-UTI programme has been designed to improve how UTIs are treated in primary care and to tackle the growing problem of antimicrobial resista ... Date: 20-01-2026 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics

Antibiotic-resistant infections increasing amidst rise in non-GP prescribing ... ate of resistant bacteraemia is 47% higher in the most deprived fifth of the population compared with the least deprived, a gap that has widened by 18% since 2019. A national action plan for antimicrobial resistance was published in 2024 setting out the Government’s five-year strategy, including an ambition to cut total antimicrobial use in humans by 5% by 2029, compared to 2019. Professor Susan Hopkins, chief exec ... Date: 13-11-2025 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy

Paediatric cervical lymphadenopathy – myths and facts for GPs ... lucloxacillin or co-amoxiclav is appropriate. Ultrasound can help identify suppuration if abscess is suspected. Over-use of antibiotics carries real risk. Unnecessary prescriptions contribute to antimicrobial resistance, disturb the gut microbiome and can cause adverse effects such as diarrhoea and candidiasis. They also reinforce parental expectations that antibiotics are ‘needed for lumps’, complicating future consu ... Date: 16-10-2025 Categories: • Cancer • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy • Paediatrics

GPs wrote over one million fewer prescriptions for antibiotics, latest data shows GPs have substantially reduced the number of antibiotics prescribed, according to a Government report on progress towards tackling antimicrobial resistance. Figures show 1.1 million fewer antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed from general practice in England in 2023 to 2024 compared with the previous year. It equates to a reduction of 3.2% on 34 ... Date: 25-09-2025 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy

Children and babies with pneumonia should have antibiotics for three days only, says NICE ... committee said evidence showed three days was as effective as five in children with no difference in adverse outcomes including readmission. It added that overuse of antibiotics is associated with antimicrobial resistance and is a national and global priority. Shorter courses of antibiotics are becoming increasingly recognised as standard practice for many common infections, including urinary tract infections and a ... Date: 10-04-2025 Categories: • Paediatrics • Respiratory

Government progress on antimicrobial resistance 'limited', warns NAO The Government has made ‘limited progress’ in achieving its vision of containing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the public spending watchdog has warned. The National Audit Office (NAO) investigated AMR in light of it being a ‘serous public health threat’, after the Covid-19 pandemic showed that the ... Date: 26-02-2025 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Covid-19 • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory

Government 'acting on' GPs being 'unwilling' to refer to Pharmacy First ... sp;led GPs to raise concerns surrounding antibiotic stewardship, however NHS England has said it will monitor the service for any impact on antimicrobial resistance. The latest NHS Business Services Authority monthly dispensing data shows that 3.9m Pharmacy First consultations were claimed for between the launch of the service and October last year. And NHS England has said that only 8% of pati ... Date: 04-02-2025 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • Politics • Respiratory • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics

UKHSA widens list of first-option antibiotics GPs can prescribe UK public health officials have updated the list of which antibiotics GPs should prescribe and when, as part of efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance. It has meant some shuffling of antibiotic choices between the ‘access, watch and reserve’ or AWaRe categories set out by the World Health Organisation. All first-generation cephalosporins are ... Date: 29-01-2025 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory

Only 8% of Pharmacy First patients are sent back to general practice, says NHSE ... pply antibiotics, which led GPs to raise concerns surrounding antibiotic stewardship, however NHS England has said it will monitor the service for any impact on antimicrobial resistance. Pallavi Dawda, head of clinical strategy for community pharmacy at NHS England, reassured GPs on this issue again during the webinar. She said: ‘We take the risk of AMR very seriously, and we are reviewing ... Date: 20-12-2024 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • Respiratory

WHO raises alarm about growing rates of tuberculosis globally ... nding shortfalls and catastrophic financial burden on those affected, climate change, conflict, migration and displacement, pandemics, and drug-resistant tuberculosis, a significant driver of antimicrobial resistance’. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added. ‘The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it and treat it.’ Dr Esther ... Date: 03-12-2024 Categories: • Respiratory

More than 39 million people could die from antibiotic resistance by 2050 More than 39 million people around the world could die from antibiotic-resistant infections over the next 25 years, researchers have warned. Analysis of trends by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project showed that one million people died a year from resistant infections between 1990 and 2021. Writing in The Lancet, they estimated that by 2050, this will have increased by 70% to 1. ... Date: 25-09-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory

OTC nasal sprays can reduce infection and cut antibiotic use ... thampton, who led the exercise and stress reduction part and co-led the study, said: ‘If widely used these interventions could potentially have a valuable role for reducing antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance, and in reducing the impact of respiratory viruses for patients, the health service and the wider economy.’ A version of this story was first published by Pulse's sister title The Pharmacist Date: 19-07-2024 Categories: • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy

Stephen Kinnock named minister responsible for general practice ... n, who will cover wider issues in the department’s portfolio. Mr Gwynne, the MP for Gorton and Denton, has taken on responsibility for public health and prevention, covering issues such as antimicrobial resistance, addiction and long-term conditions. Baroness Merron has joined DHSC from the House of Lords, and will be responsible for patient experience and safety, mental health, and women’s health. ... Date: 15-07-2024 Categories: • Politics

Pharmacy First 'will fail' if people 'keep having to return to their GP', MPs warn ... ould drive antibiotic resistance are so far ‘unfounded’. NHS England has said it will closely monitor the scheme's impact on antimicrobial resistance. Date: 29-05-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory • Workload

LMCs call for 'appropriate controls' on AI in general practice ... overnment has hailed the potential of AI in boosting NHS efficiency, most recently saying that GPs will be ‘supported’ with new technologies such as AI to reduce antibiotic prescribing and tackle antimicrobial resistance. But digital experts have warned that GPs using AI need to be aware of liability risks and maintain their ability to ‘critically appraise’ the technology. Speaking at the Pulse Live conference earl ... Date: 23-05-2024 Categories: • LMCs conferences • Technology • Workload

GPs will use AI to reduce antibiotic prescribing under Government five-year plan GPs will be 'supported' with new technologies such as AI to reduce antibiotic prescribing and tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the Government has announced. A new national plan for combatting AMR has laid out 30 commitments for the next five years, including several relating to GP practices and other healthcare set ... Date: 08-05-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Technology

Significant proportion of RTIs given more than one antibiotic course ... escription, the researchers said. Respiratory tract infections also account for 60% of antibiotic prescribing in primary care globally and have been identified as one of the key drivers of antimicrobial resistance, they added. This is despite previous research showing that for most child and adult patients with chest infections, particularly those without chronic lung disease, even a single antibiotic course is unl ... Date: 16-04-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory

GP concern as Pharmacy First 'directs patients back to general practice' ... o raise concerns surrounding antibiotic stewardship, however NHS England has said it will monitor the service for any impact on antimicrobial resistance. Berkshire West LMC chair Dr Mark Green told Pulse he didn’t encounter issues so far, adding: ‘It's still early days since it started, I guess. So you'd hope any issues get ironed out swiftly.’ As part of the service, community pharmacy IT systems&nb ... Date: 14-02-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory • Workload

GPs can start referring patients to Pharmacy First next week ... wed to prescribe antibiotics, which GPs to raise concerns surrounding antibiotic stewardship, however NHS England has said it will monitor the service for any impact on antimicrobial resistance. The National Institute for Health Care Research is also leading an evaluation of the service that ‘will include any implications’ on antimicrobial resistance. More than 10,000 pharmacies have registered to deliver the servi ... Date: 25-01-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory • Workload

GPs to only prescribe fluoroquinolone antibiotics as last resort, says MHRA ... ise the risk of long-lasting or disabling reactions. Meanwhile, NHS England said it will monitor the Pharmacy First service after its launch for any potential impact on antimicrobial resistance. When the scheme was announced GPs told Pulse that there are concerns around antibiotic stewardship. Date: 22-01-2024 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Mental health, pain and addiction

Pharmacy First programme to be monitored for antimicrobial resistance impact NHS England will monitor the Pharmacy First service after its launch for any potential impact on antimicrobial resistance. The scheme, which will launch on 31 January subject to the ‘appropriate digital systems being in place’, will allow pharmacies to consult and prescribe in relation to seven common conditions, in ... Date: 18-12-2023 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing

Is Pharmacy First... a good idea? ... s of GPs. So shifting the treatment of common conditions to fully qualified pharmacists seems pretty sensible. I’m not ignorant of the potential drawbacks, the most obvious of which is antimicrobial resistance. GPs have traditionally been (wrongly) accused of increasing antimicrobial resistance. Yet GPs are, in fact, best placed to reduce antimicrobial resistance. By transferring their workload to pharmacists, there i ... Date: 22-11-2023 Categories: • Editor's blog

Will GPs benefit from pharmacies taking on 'common conditions' prescribing? ... cy England (CPE), which has negotiated the PGDs, said these allow community pharmacists to supply antimicrobials ‘only where clinically appropriate’ without ‘increasing the risks of antimicrobial resistance’. But GPs have expressed concern, especially around the cost of the scheme. Doctors' Association UK GP spokesperson Dr Steve Taylor says: ‘Could similar funding have been provided to GP practices? A lot of the ... Date: 17-11-2023 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory • Sexual health • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics • Workload

UTI prevention campaign launched to help avoid serious complications ... g, which can all help avoid preventable infections like UTIs, that if left untreated can become serious infections and can lead to admission to hospital.’ Dr Colin Brown, deputy director for antimicrobial resistance at UKHSA, said while UTIs were incredibly common some people do go on to develop much more serious complications, such as kidney or bloodstream infections. ‘These more serious consequences are more comm ... Date: 12-10-2023 Categories: • Elderly care • Renal medicine, urology and men's health

‘More guidance needed’ on probable overprescribing of antibiotics for insect bites ... tibiotics were prescribed, more research is needed to help clinicians and patients decide which may benefit from the treatment and which can be left alone, especially given the population risk of antimicrobial resistance they concluded. The research shows this is not a trivial issue, said study lead Dr Samuel Finnikin, a GP in Sutton Coldfield and researcher at the Institute for Applied Health Research at the Universi ... Date: 21-09-2023 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Long-term conditions and prescribing

More diagnostic testing needed to tackle antibiotic resistance, Government told ... onsultation highlighted. It follows a call for evidence in November to inform the next five-year national action plan to tackle the problem. In all 81% of the 200 respondents said the threat of antimicrobial resistance has increased since the last plan was published in 2019. The problem is being driven by inappropriate antibiotic use, poor prescribing practices and general overuse in both humans and animals, res ... Date: 17-08-2023 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Long-term conditions and prescribing

Spironolactone safe and effective in treating acne in women, study finds ... of women affected by persistent acne. ‘The treatment provides a valuable alternative to antibiotics and ensures clinicians can also better avoid the harms that can arise from antimicrobial resistance.’ Date: 19-05-2023 Categories: • Dermatology and wound care • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics

Can pharmacists really absorb GP workload? ... P partner in East London and a director of Greenlight Pharmacy, says he is ‘not opposed to pharmacies having a greater role’ but flags risks around appropriate training, antimicrobial resistance and pharmacists’ integration with GP systems. He also says the 3% reduction in GP appointments will not make a massive difference: ‘My concern is that they are putting around £640m into this scheme - would that money be bette ... Date: 10-05-2023 Categories: • Ear nose and throat and ophthalmology • GP recovery plan • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Workload

Four new UTI tests could help fight antimicrobial resistance Four new tests for diagnosing UTIs could soon be considered for use in the NHS to help fight against antimicrobial resistance. A National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) committee has issued draft guidance calling for further research into four promising tests which could produce results in under an hour ... Date: 27-03-2023 Categories: • Bacterial infection • Renal medicine, urology and men's health • Women's health, gynaecology and obstetrics

Target to reduce antibiotic prescribing hit years ahead of schedule ... ropriately and continue to drive down infections overall. Earlier this month, NHS England asked GPs to consider reviewing their prescribing of antibiotics as part of a new drive to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Figures from 2021 also show antibiotic resistant infections have started to rise once more, although rates are still below pre-pandemic levels. There were 148 severe antibiotic resistant infecti ... Date: 29-11-2022 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing

NHS England asks GPs to review prescribing of antibiotics NHS England has asked GPs to consider reviewing their prescribing of antibiotics as part of a new drive to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In an email bulletin sent to practices today, it suggested that this aims to reduce GP workload. The bulletin said that infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens are ‘associate ... Date: 18-11-2022 Categories: • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy • Long-term conditions and prescribing

Making antibiotics more accessible ‘not the way to reduce GP pressure’, says BMA ... practices,’ he said. Just four months ago, the Government set out a new commitment to mitigate ‘just in case’ antibiotic prescribing in general practice as part of its strategy to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Dr Van Mellaerts also said that making it easier for others to prescribe antibiotics was not the way to reduce the need for GP appointments or wider pressures in general practice. Instead, he urged for ... Date: 17-10-2022 Categories: • Breaking news

Patients with recurrent C. diff to receive faecal bacteria transplant ... me time balancing the need to offer the best care with value for money. ‘Use of this treatment will also help reduce the reliance on antibiotics and in turn reduce the chances of antimicrobial resistance, which supports NICE’s guidance on good antimicrobial stewardship.’ Date: 31-08-2022 Categories: • Gastroenterology and obesity

Pulse Checker: GP workload to be eased by deporting GPs, says Patel ... cs to patients who request them, say ministers The Government has recommended GPs only give antibiotics to patients who ‘really want them’ as part of its strategy for fighting antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest dangers facing the country, but ministers say an even bigger danger is that they could lose the next election. Health secretary Steve Barclay [is he still ... Date: 08-07-2022 Categories: • Pulse checker

Government to curb 'just in case' prescribing of antibiotics by GPs The Government has set out a new commitment to mitigate ‘just in case’ antibiotic prescribing in general practice as part of its strategy to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Several new additions have been made to a revised national action plan that set out how the UK would achieve its ambition of containing and controlling antimicrobial resistance by 2040. Among the ... Date: 08-06-2022 Categories: • Respiratory

Pulse Checker: Plans to send chronic patients to Rwanda, and GPs to perform brain surgery to help secondary care ... . We only do it because, er, we understand the mechanisms of the body better than you. 4 Stop prescribing antibiotics for everything – the more antimicrobial resistance there is, the less we are able to use them to fob off our non-fee paying patients. 5 Make an effort when wearing work clothes – while a bow tie is essential, we can spot a clip-on a mile off. 6 If you have tried everything you can for a pa ... Date: 27-05-2022 Categories: • Pulse checker

GPs urged to use point-of-care CRP testing to reduce antibiotic prescribing ... of point of care CRP testing. ‘Without national guidance, the PCRS panel expressed concern that the NHS could face “postcode diagnostics” and, possibly, differences in antimicrobial resistance patterns’, it concluded. Date: 11-05-2022 Categories: • Respiratory

Overworked GPs more likely to prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics, finds study ... al modelling and GP survey data, the researchers concluded that growing pressure on GPs had a direct impact on the number of broad-spectrum antibiotics prescriptions, which are more likely to lead to antimicrobial resistance in the population. The team, from the University of Manchester and the University of Southern Denmark, used data from The National GP Worklife Survey to assess GPs’ self-reported pressure from 201 ... Date: 17-01-2022 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Workload

GPs can safely write delayed antibiotic scripts for RTIs, finds study ... when no antibiotics are prescribed. The report, published in the BMJ, said ‘delayed antibiotic prescribing... can be used to help reduce antibiotic use’, which is ‘crucial’ to reduce antimicrobial resistance, particularly in primary care where antibiotics are most prescribed. Previous clinical trials have also suggested that delayed prescribing for respiratory tract infections is probably safe and effective for mo ... Date: 28-04-2021 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Respiratory

Two antibiotics removed from primary care Covid treatment trial ... sence of suspected bacterial pneumonia, so this practice should now be re-considered – particularly because overuse of antibiotics in the community can fuel the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. ‘PRINCIPLE is one of the first trials to report about doxycycline for Covid-19 worldwide, and as this drug is in common use for this condition, this should help guide prescribing decisions for Covid-19.’ A version of t ... Date: 26-01-2021 Categories: • Covid-19

Honey is ‘more effective’ than antibiotics for coughs, finds study ... ymptom score’, compared with ‘usual care’, the study said. It added: ‘Honey is more effective and less harmful than usual care alternatives and avoids causing harm through antimicrobial resistance.’ The researchers recommended honey as a ‘widely-available’ and cheap alternative for GPs who ‘wish to prescribe for URTI’ but are faced with ‘very few effective options’. They added: ‘Research shows that most usual care therap ... Date: 18-08-2020 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing

The impending antibioticlypse ... ing antibiotics, only the opposite. The result will be an all-u-can-eat antibiotic policy, with the risk of driving a coach-and-horses through current efforts to reduce antimicrobial resistance. Unless, of course, we run out of them, which might just happen. Our only way of avoiding the end-of-prescribing-as-we know-it is for the apocalyptic horsemen to be headed off at the pass. Which means public health being brave e ... Date: 23-07-2020 Categories: • Copperfield • Long-term conditions and prescribing

GPs should consider risks of hospital admission for pneumonia patients, says NICE ... ic use may reduce availability if used indiscriminately, and broad-spectrum antibiotics in particular may lead to Clostridioides difficile infection and antimicrobial resistance.’ However, GPs should prescribe antibiotics for those who can be treated in the community if it’s ‘unclear’ whether the cause is viral or bacterial or they are ‘at high risk of complications’, NICE said. Oral corticosteroids should not ‘routinely ... Date: 09-04-2020 Categories: • Referrals • Respiratory • Uncategorised

Pneumonia: How to manage in the community during Covid-19 - 3 April ... otic use may reduce availability if used indiscriminately, and broad-spectrum antibiotics in particular may lead to Clostridioides difficile infection and antimicrobial resistance. 4.7 Offer an oral antibiotic for treatment of pneumonia in people who can or wish to be treated in the community if: the likely cause is bacterial or it is unclear whether the cause is bacterial or viral and symptoms are more concerning ... Date: 06-04-2020 Categories: • Covid-19 • Covid-19 resources • Respiratory • Uncategorised

CPD - Case-based: rational prescribing of antibiotics ... t (OECD) noted that around 17% of bacterial infection in OECD countries are resistant to antibiotics, with this number rising to a third in some countries. They predict 2.4million deaths due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Europe, Australia and North America between now and 2050. The Center for Disease Control in the United States has a similarly gloomy outlook, telling us that there are two million cases of resista ... Date: 09-03-2020 Categories: • CPD • Infectious diseases, immunology and allergy • Long-term conditions and prescribing

The career-ending Catch 22 decision ... According to one of the best authorities on the subject, Lord Jim O’Neill, diagnostics are the single most important intervention one can bring to solving antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Both he and the former chief medical officer - now UK special envoy on AMR - Dame Sally Davies, told the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee that this was pivotal, and yet, of course, little progress has been made on devel ... Date: 29-01-2020 Categories: • David Turner • Uncategorised

Media reports of sepsis deaths 'make parents pressure GPs for antibiotics' ... t the health risks associated with overuse. ‘Public health communications about sepsis awareness must acknowledge the wider implications of unnecessary antibiotic use as a driver of antimicrobial resistance, and ensure effective treatment for sepsis in the longer term.’ Professor Azeem Majeed, professor of primary care at Imperial College London, said conflicting media messages could cause confusion amongst patients. He ... Date: 23-01-2020 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Uncategorised

New test for primary care could diagnose UTIs in 25 minutes via smartphone camera ... area. Last summer, the University of Leeds’ Dr Mar Pujades Rodriguez said that existing laboratory tests for UTIs bore little impact on antibiotic prescribing. Meanwhile, antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern, with a study last year of almost one million consultations revealing that 80% of GP antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory conditions ‘are too long’. Date: 07-01-2020 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Renal medicine, urology and men's health • Uncategorised

Up to 43% of US antibiotics could be unnecessary prescriptions, says study ... ant infections increased over the same period. It came after a pledge by the Government to cut antibiotic prescribing by a ‘further 15%’ in January as part of a 20-year vision for antimicrobial resistance. Date: 12-12-2019 Categories: • Long-term conditions and prescribing • Uncategorised

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