Building on antibiotic prescribing success
As new statistics reveal a fall in prescribing of antibiotics by clinicians across all NHS healthcare settings, dentists’ leaders have called on colleagues to build on this success by using a new toolkit to support effective antimicrobial stewardship.
The toolkit, which includes an easy self audit tool and patient facing posters and leaflets, was developed through collaboration between Public Health England (PHE), the Faculty of General Dental Practice UK (FGDP (UK)) and the British Dental Association (BDA). It builds on pioneering work from NHS England Cheshire and Merseyside Local Dental Network.
With the number of people dying annually from antibiotic resistant infections predicted to rise to 10m by 2050, resistance to antibiotics represents one of the biggest threats to global health. Dentists issue around 9 per cent of all antibiotic prescriptions in NHS primary care, and 5 per cent of the NHS total; since 2015, all UK healthcare providers have had a statutory duty to ensure appropriate antimicrobial use to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
However, the latest report from PHE’s English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) shows that despite progress on prescribing, antibiotic resistance in the UK is still on the rise.
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