Antibiotics for colds overused

A University of Auckland medical researcher says antibiotics are still being overused for common colds in New Zealand, despite research showing their ineffectiveness.

Associate Professor Bruce Arroll, from the School of Population Health, says his interest in researching antibiotics was sparked after his brother-in-law was prescribed antibiotics for a cold.

"It's long been thought that antibiotics are ineffective for viral infections, yet they continue to be prescribed.

"I wanted to ... find out whether antibiotics do have any benefit for people with colds."

Dr Arroll said he wanted antibiotics to be around for his grandchildren.

"But if doctors prescribe antibiotics too often, then people will build up an immunity to them, and they won't be able to use this medication when they really need it."

Dr Arroll reviewed all the research into the use of antibiotics for treating colds, and found just nine studies on the topic.

The review showed antibiotics were effective only in cases of purulent rhinitis (when a cold includes phlegm build-up and coloured discharge from the nose).

But four out of five people with purulent rhinitis would recover without treatment. "So my recommendation would be for doctors to give delayed prescriptions in these cases, and encourage patients only to take antibiotics if they haven't recovered in a few days."

Government drug funding agency Pharmac recommends that doctors prescribe antibiotics only when there is an infection.

Dr Arroll is now looking at using delayed prescribing, with patients being given antibiotics in an envelope and asked to wait five days before using them.

- NZPA