title: Antibiotic stewardship--more education and regulation not more availability?
abstract: Antibiotics are overused across the world by prescription, self-medication or over the counter (OTC) availability. In the UK, the agenda to increase patient choice has stimulated a move towards greater availability of OTC antibiotics. This trend needs to be urgently reviewed and controlled. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is currently reviewing applications for reclassification of trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin from prescription-only medicines to pharmacy availability or OTC. It is important that anti-infectives do not become more freely available. With the quantity of antibiotic use linked to antibiotic resistance, Society should seek to preserve the use of this irreplaceable resource by education and regulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Communicable Disease, Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, UK. matthew.dryden@wehct.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dryden
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Davey
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000600:supply & distribution* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000592:standards*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents