Trevor Sargent
Ceist:13 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children the measures, if any, being taken to stem the over prescription of antibiotics in view of the increasing build up of levels of immunity to these products. [10172/98]
Written Answers. - Antibiotics Prescription.
Individual prescriptions are a matter for the judgment of the clinician concerned. However, the medical profession is fully aware of the problems associated with the over prescribing of antibiotics and a number of steps have been taken to promote good practices in regard to the prescribing of antibiotics and their use. Measures in place include licensing requirements and education and information initiatives.
The Deputy will be aware that, firstly, antibiotics must be licensed by the Irish Medicines Board for specific indications in both humans and animals.
A range of methods are used in drawing attention to the benefits of appropriate prescribing of antibiotics. The National Medicines Information Centre has issued guidelines on the use of antibiotics in respiratory and urinary tract infections to doctors and pharmacists. Specialist advice is available to individual doctors from the centre on request. Antibiotic prescribing is also often dealt with in general practitioner postgraduate seminars. At health board level, discussion with general practitioners on prescribing, including the use of antibiotics, is part of the remit of health board GP units. General practitioners in the GMS receive details of the medicines they prescribe and can review their overall use of antibiotics. The Deputy will also be interested to learn that two of the functions of the new National Infectious Disease Surveillance Centre will be the monitoring and surveillance of antibiotic resistance and the ongoing promotion of appropriate prescribing.
With regard to hospitals, guidelines were issued by my Department in 1995 for the control and prevention of methicillin resistant staphyloccus aureas (MRSA). My Department has also encouraged the setting up of drugs and therapeutics committees in hospitals to advise on the rational use of antibiotics, a number of which have established links with local general practitioners to co-ordinate antibiotic use. Some hospital laboratories also regularly list specimens from hospital and community patients for the development of resistance to common antibiotics and advise prescribers accordingly.
Information is available to the public on the proper use of antibiotics through doctors and community pharmacists. The new contract between health boards and community pharmacists encompasses discussion with patients on the correct preparation, administration and use of medicines and on the importance of compliance with the directions for use. In this regard also, the Health Promotion Unit of my Department in association with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association has produced a public information leaflet aimed at encouraging the proper use of medicines.
Finally, the new Food Safety Authority will be working with the Department of Agriculture and Food with regard to animal health where it may impact on human foodstuffs.
I am satisfied that the range of measures presently in place are working to address the question of antibiotic resistance and will, however, continue to keep this matter under review.