Large numbers of people still – wrongly – take antibiotics for coughs and colds, according to the findings of a survey published today.
As many as 40% of the population said they would expect to take the drugs for these viral conditions in the survey published for European Antibiotic Awareness Day.
A similar number believed antibiotics could treat viral infections while small numbers of people attributed a range of medical effects to the drugs, such as treatment of hay fever.
The survey for Public Health England found that 90% of people did not realise that drug-resistant bacteria could spread easily between people.
Some 1,625 adults took part in the survey, conducted by pollsters Ipsos MORI.
It found growing levels of problems among young adults. Some 40% of this group took antibiotics without prescriptions – from the family medicine cupboard or bought over the internet.
Dr Cliodna McNulty, of Public Health England, said: “The misconception that antibiotics are a cure-all for all ills is proving to be a very difficult myth to shift. There is relatively good awareness that antibiotics are for the treatment of bacterial infections but there is still a strong belief that they can also help with viral infections and other symptoms which they cannot.
"We are asking everyone – members of the public and health professionals to make a pledge to help preserve our precious antibiotics. This could be something like seeking advice from the chemist on self-care of symptoms or for a GP to use a back-up prescription for patients with a high expectation of receiving antibiotics."
She added: “Previous surveys have shown that GPs are a trusted source of advice and we saw that in this survey as well.
"Given this level of confidence and trust we need to capitalise on it and support GPs to use back up prescriptions if there is any doubt as to whether someone has a bacterial or a viral infection."
Chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies said: "We need to preserve the antibiotics we have, otherwise we could see the end of modern medicine as we know it.
"This is about appropriate prescribing by GPs and patients being aware when antibiotics are really needed.”
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