Reducing Antibiotic Use in Landes: A Campaign for Proper Antibiotic Usage

2023-11-26 18:02:33

Antibiotics are not automatic! You obviously know this slogan, which dates from the early 2000s… Well, it’s more relevant than ever!
On the occasion of world week for the proper use of antibioticsthe ARS (regional health agency) and the CPAM (primary health insurance fund) are mobilizing and launching a new campaign to try to reduce the consumption of antibiotics in New Aquitaine, and particularly in Landes.

Les Landes, a poor department

Car our department is a rather poor student in this area. With a particularly high rate of use of antibiotics: last year, 42% of Landes residents were prescribed antibiotics (this is more than the regional rate: 41%, and the national rate: 40%).
And yet, 80% of pathologies are viral and do not require antibiotics! Hence this reminder from the health authorities, as winter approaches and the viral epidemics that go with it.

“Antibiotics are not anxiolytics!”

But to reduce this consumption of antibiotics, everyone must do their part. Patients as doctors. “Let’s stop prescribing antibiotics when there is no need!” insists Flore Lacassin, infectious disease doctor at Mont-de-Marsan hospital. “Antibiotics are not anxiolytics, they should not be used to reassure patients! Because today we are faced with patients who tell us: “doctor, I have been coughing for 8 days, give me antibiotics I am sure that it will pass more quickly”. But this is false! There are viral infections which last a long time, even longer than a bacterial infection treated with antibiotics. What must be remembered is that in case of viruses, antibiotics are useless. They are only effective on bacteria. But 8 out of 10 pathologies are viral. So yes, we must take the time to explain to patients why we do not prescribe antibiotics when they consult for a simple cold.”

To question ourselves

For this, we must continue to educate patients. But also review practices. Because in Landes, more than two thirds (69.5%) of antibiotics are prescribed by private general practitioners. “They make us all question ourselves” recognizes Doctor Didier Simon, general practitioner in Mont-de-Marsan, vice-president of private doctors for the URPS (Regional Union of Health Professionals). “Especially since today, there are technical means that exist, for example we have tests in offices that we should do systematically and which allow us to know whether angina is viral or bacterial, and therefore to know whether we need antibiotics or not. So already at our level, we must also question ourselves.”

Antibiotic resistance

Because the risk is antibiotic resistance. Bacteria that are becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics. A real public health issue, with for example diseases that were previously easy to treat becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to a lack of effective medications. In Europe each year there are more than 35,000 deaths caused by antibiotic-resistant infections.

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