General practitioners and family medicine practitioners are responsible for about 80 per cent of the antimicrobial prescriptions in Canada. Yet individual physicians may not be aware of the impact that each can have on minimizing antibiotic resistance both in the inpatient and outpatient settings. The vast majority of infections for which physicians prescribe antibiotics are diseases of the respiratory or genitourinary systems, skin and sense organs. However, most of these infections, particularly respiratory and ear infections, are caused by viruses for which antibiotics have no effect. Antibiotics prescribed for viral infections are wasted and directly contribute to increasing resistance rates.
Medical practitioners can have an immediate effect on limiting antibiotic resistance.
When possible, prescribe antibiotics that target only a narrow range of bacteria. Isolate hospital patients with multidrug-resistant infections. Familiarize yourself with local data on antibiotic resistance.