BMJ 1994;308:919 (2 April)

Letters

Consider short courses of antibiotics

EDITOR, - The Department of Health's determination to reduce prescribing costs will leave many general practitioners looking for ways to do this without harming their patients; perhaps they should consider the duration of the courses of antibiotics that they prescribe for uncomplicated infections. The preferred duration may occasionally be three or even 10 days, but generally it is either five or seven days - though there is no reason to believe that seven days is ever better than five. A study that we have conducted indicates the confusion surrounding this issue and the cost of the two extra days' treatment.

We obtained data from the Prescription Pricing Authority for 1992-3 for all prescription for tablets or capsules of amoxycillin, ampicillin, cephalexin, and erythromycin at 250 mg and 500 mg strengths (omitting ethinyl succinate erythromycins); phenoxymethylpenicillin 250 mg; trimethoprim 200 mg; and co-trimoxazole 400/80 mg. We analysed only items prescribed for . . . [Full text of this article]


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