TY - JOUR T1 - Antibiotics: time to act JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 340 LP - 341 DO - 10.3399/bjgp13X668447 VL - 63 IS - 612 AU - Michael Moore Y1 - 2013/07/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/63/612/340.abstract N2 - The recent report from the chief medical officer placed the issue of antibiotic resistance and antimicrobial stewardship centre stage.1 Primary care is responsible for the majority of non-veterinary antibiotic use which in turn is linked to resistance, so it is a highly appropriate theme running through this month’s issue of the BJGP and a good time to reflect on how to make changes in practice.Each year about one-quarter of the population will visit their GP with an acute respiratory infection (ARI) accounting for 60% of antibiotics prescribed in primary care. Targeting antibiotic prescribing for ARI is a good place to start and there are two potential ways to tackle this problem. First by intervening in the population prior to presentation and secondly by addressing prescribing in the consultation.The majority of acute respiratory illness is self-limiting and so encouraging self-management in the community will reduce the opportunity for unnecessary prescribing. A study in this issue found around one-fifth of responders suffering from an ARI in the UK will present to their GP,2 a figure which seems consistent with earlier estimates. Consultations are associated with illness severity, failure of self-treatment, worry about more severe illness, and the involvement of children.2,3 Hence self-care advice, better access to information on the expected natural history, and effective over-the-counter symptom relief may all influence the decision to consult. Providing self-help intervention leaflets prior to the consultation … ER -