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Doctors may soon face disciplinary action for overprescribing antibiotics

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LeonYLC
8 yrs ago

UK 'soft touch' doctors may soon face disciplinary action for overprescribing antibiotics, says Professor Mark Baker, Director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

GPs write around 10 million prescriptions of antibiotics a year, for minor maladies for coughs, colds and minor infections, even though over exposure to antibiotics can lead to antimicrobial resistance.

As a result of this new enquiry, new guidelines will be released to try and slow the prescription rate. Doctors who break these rules will be brought before a General Medical Council for disciplinary action which, for first offenders, would lead to retraining. But doctors who continue to overprescribe antibiotics could lose their license to practice.

Do you ever feel that your doctor overprescribes medicines? Would you be happier to improve your immune system by natural means rather than by pharmaceutical methods?

3 comments
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PlanB
8 yrs ago

YEs so many Drs are willing to fob of patients with Antibiotics for colds etc --when there is NO way they can help that situation.

 

Plus we are getting so much in the likes of meat / Fowl / eggs fish etc --as well as hormones

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cranky
8 yrs ago

It's quite disturbing isn't it...Pretty soon antibiotics will have no effect on the virus's of today..leaving the world vulnerable to all kinds of diseases...

Well in Ausralia all health is private we don't have public health like the UK so I guess our problem is bigger and unregulated ..

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Vivity8/7/2007
8 yrs ago

If our Health system was unregulated and private Pete then the Government couldn't be checking Drs for overprescribing could they? Some do over prescribe but not all but they are all being treated the same. Likewise for diagnostic tests which some order a menu of tests and older more experienced ones don't some people need a lot of tests. 

You yourself Pete have mentioned you have regular tests for LLC how will you feel if it is decided you should only have them when a very acute emergency occurs which regular screening would pick up before that stage was reached?

Not suRe understand a word you say. One my leukaemia is CLL and yes I have tests every three months ,

in Australia our doctors are all small businesses if you don't like one you go to another.,ulike the UK where they are Govt employees and you must be registered to one .

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Vivity8/7/2007
8 yrs ago

Must be a Bit too late for you to understand what I said Pete. Medicare is the National Health scheme here and payment to Drs is controlled by the government for the Medicare portion, how else do you think control over Drs prescribing habits is/will be managed. 

UK Drs can and do delist patients they don't want if all Drs in an area do so then the only obligation a Dr has is to see them for 3months and then they are passed onto the next Dr down the road. 

Doctors in Australia can charge what they like . They do not have lists . if they choose to accept the govt fee that is their choice ,..

Your description of UK Doctors is exactly what is Wrong with socialist medicine.

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Vivity8/7/2007
8 yrs ago

Drs are hampered by what they can charge by patients expectations on the "Gap" payment, also by the AMA set fees. Not as simple as you think.Drs  also set the limit on number of patients they accept themselves when a certain figure is reached beyond their capacity then they refuse new patients. Just like any other business. 

Yep good old private enterprise let them compete better than socialism and command economy any day..

Quote pete: Your description of UK Doctors is exactly what is Wrong with socialist medicine.

It's socialized medicine pete, not socialist medicine

No it is Socialist Medicine but what would a pommy Dentist know..

3 comments



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