GPS more likely to cut antibiotic prescriptions when there’s cash to be had

DOCTORS are being paid to cut down on writing prescriptions for antibiotics – if they hit targets, they get £5 for every patient on their books.

A study by Imperial College London and Public Health England found that cash incentives helped to reduce by 3 per cent the number of prescriptions for common infections, such as coughs and sore throats. Many mild cases can clear up without treatment, and are often caused by viruses that do not respond to antibiotics anyway.

Sabine Bou-antoun, an epidemiologist and research postgraduate at the School of Public Health at Imperial and study lead author, said doctors often could not tell whether an infection was caused by a bacteria or virus. She said: “In clinic, GPS have a short amount of time in which to see a patient, make a diagnosis and recommend a treatment.

“For respiratory infections this is complicated further by unspecific symptoms and lack of a ‘point-of-care’ diagnostic tool to distinguish between a bacterial and viral infection. This, along with patient anxiety, may influence the decision to prescribe antibiotics.”

The findings were published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Health officials want to cut use of antibiotics to stem the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. Ms Bou-antoun said: “It is important to reduce unnecessary and inappropriate antibiotic prescribing as it is a known driver of antibiotic resistance.” Prof Alan Johnson, of PHE’S infectious diseases centre, added: “It is important that we continue to reduce the levels of inappropriate prescribing if we are to prevent further increases in drug-resistant infections.”