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Topics in Evidence-Based Pharmacy Practice
8/17/2010: Effect of Antibiotic Prescribing in Primary Care on Antimicrobial Resistance in Individual Patients
John M. Tovar
University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas
Excerpt:"One of the most important problems faced by health care providers today is antimicrobial resistance. For years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been educating providers regarding the judicious use of antibiotics to stem the problem of resistance.1 Despite these efforts, inappropriate use of antibiotics in primary care is still a major problem. One estimate suggests that 50% of prescriptions for respiratory tract infections, which account for approximately half of the antibiotics prescribed in the community setting, are unnecessary.2 This type of behavior is a major problem because it is well established that excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics can lead to the development of resistance in communities.3,4 Whether these same behaviors can lead to the development of resistance among the individuals who are taking them inappropriately is less clear at this time, particularly in the primary care setting...."
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