Doctors’ antibiotic prescriptions should be scrutinised, says NICE

Doctors should have their antibiotic prescribing scrutinised and told whether it is higher than average for their area or falls outside of recommended uses, draft guidelines have said. Prescribers also need to stand up to patients who demand antibiotics when they are not appropriate, the guidelines say.

The recommendations are part of the guidance on antimicrobial stewardship from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is open for consultation until 17 March.1 They will apply to anyone who prescribes antimicrobial medicines, although most antibiotic prescribing (79%) takes place in general practice.

The draft guidance recommends setting up multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship teams that work across all …