Exploring the significance of delayed antimicrobial prescribing

Resistance to second- and third-line antibiotics is predicted to increase by 70% by 2030 if effective public health measures are not employed (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2018). The pandemic has further reinforced what a virus can do when we do not have the know-how or the tools to protect ourselves, and the results could be similar for a wave of everyday microbial infections that also can no longer be as a result of antimicrobial resistance.

One of the main measures that can help to tackle this looming crisis is to reduce the unnecessary and inappropriate use of antibiotics where possible, particularly in primary care where antibiotics are most prescribed. For instance, medications are commonly prescribed for respiratory tract infections, though Stuart et al (2021) note that such intervention has a modest effect on the outcome of the illness. They also highlight that antimicrobials continue to be overprescribed across the country and on a global scale, which has a huge potential impact on the burden to come when resistance to such treatments is at an all-time high. Delayed prescribing therefore appears to be the way forward – perhaps a useful compromise to reassure both the patient and prescriber.