GPs admit to over-prescribing antibiotics

Irish family doctors admit to regularly over-prescribing antibiotics for acute respiratory infections, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Limerick found GPs often felt pressurised to prescribe antibiotics for such illnesses, particularly for fee-paying patients and in out-of-hours situations, despite being aware that antibiotics were inappropriate for the treatment of non-bacterial infections. Other international studies have shown that acute respiratory tract infections are the most common ailment for which antibiotics are prescribed in Europe, although their benefit is marginal in most cases.