Keep Antibiotics Working, European Antibiotic Awareness Day

European Antibiotic Awareness Day is on the 18^th November 2017. The WHO, UN and other organizations are calling for awareness about the threat to public health of antibiotic resistance and the importance of prudent antibiotic use.

The WHO theme for this year is: “Seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional before taking antibiotics. Antibiotics are a precious resource, so it is important to get the right advice before taking them” (1)

On all levels antibiotic resistance can be a threat. These bacteria are found in human beings, animals, the human food chain and also in the environment. For instance antimicrobial resistance, caused by overuse on farms, may be passed on via the human food chain to the public, “Lower the use of antibiotics and use them only when really necessary” should be the most important advice on each level. (2)

When bacteria have already developed a resistance against antibiotics, infections are difficult to treat, and in some cases more dangerous for the patient. The development of new antibiotics is extremely costly and time consuming.

Existing evidence shows homeopathy can play a role in reducing the use of antibiotics in primary care. e.g. GPs frequently feel pressured to prescribe for what are often minor infectious conditions such as Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTIs).  Research shows that homeopathic medicines can have a preventative effect against URTIs (3) and GPs can effectively treat URTIs when they occur (4). Both approaches have been shown to result in a reduction of antibiotic prescribing in primary care practice.

Given the growing Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR) crisis, serious consideration should now be given to integrating homeopathy into national healthcare systems as part of an integrated approach to reducing AMR.

References

(1) http://www.who.int/antimicrobial-resistance/en/

(2)  WHO, STATnews https://www.statnews.com/2017/01/12/antibiotic-resistance-livestock-industry/

(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27186371  2016 May 16;11:19. doi: 10.1186/s40248-016-0056-1. eCollection 2016. Effectiveness, safety and tolerability of a complex homeopathic medicinal product in the prevention of recurrent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children: a multicenter, open, comparative, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Jong MC, Buskin SL, Ilyenko L, Kholodova I, Burkat J, Weber S, Keller T, Klement P.

(4) http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0089990

March 19 2014 Management of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections by Different Medical Practices, Including Homeopathy, and Consumption of Antibiotics in Primary Care: The EPI3 Cohort Study in France 2007-2008 Lamiae Grimaldi-Bensouda, Bernard Bégaud, Michel Rossignol, Bernard Avouac, France Lert, Frederic Rouillon, Jacques Bénichou, Jacques Massol, Gerard Duru, Anne-Marie Magnier, Lucien Abenhaim, Didier Guillemot.