Doctors in Oxfordshire have signed up to a national campaign to cut down on the number of antibiotics being prescribed to patients.

They are worried that dangerous bacteria could become resistant to antibiotics and cause outbreaks of untreatable diseases if action is not taken.

Moreover, they are keen to reduce some of the pressure put on GPs by patients who think that minor infections can be cured by antibiotics. Dr Tom Jones, a consultant primary care medical advisor with Oxfordshire Health Authority, said: "Many members of the public do not realise that antibiotics don't help fight viruses, and that most coughs and colds, and many sore throats, are caused by a virus.

"Apart from the resistance factor, they quite often cause allergic reactions and other side effects, such as thrush, diarrhoea and abdominal pain."

Dr Jones said Oxfordshire's GPs were already ahead of the field. They prescribed 0.56 antibiotic items per patient last year, compared with 0.68 per head in 1995/96. In 1997/98, the number of antibiotic items prescribed per head was the fourth lowest in England.

"Despite the Oxfordshire rate being below average, and dropping, most GPs would agree that they still often prescribe antibiotics against their better judgement," added Dr Jones. "Hopefully the campaign will go some way to helping them solve this problem."

Story date: Wednesday 20 October

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