How should we tackle antimicrobial resistance in primary care? Lessons from infections research

We all experience infections. They are the most common reason people request an appointment with their GP. This often leads to antibiotics being prescribed. In fact, over 80% of health service antibiotics are prescribed by in primary care. Many of these prescriptions are unnecessary and contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which causes 30,000 deaths in the UK and Europe annually and is now considered one of the greatest threats to public health globally.

In this webinar, members of the Centre for Academic Primary Care’s Infections Research team ask: what should we do about it?

Drawing on their pioneering research, which has demonstrated how inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in primary care makes AMR worse, the team will share findings that offer some of the answers. This will include discussion of findings from a variety of studies looking at different aspects of the problem, including: mechanisms of infection transmission; approaches to self-care; delayed antibiotic prescribing; and research looking at the feasibility and efficacy of rapid tests that help clinicians quickly identify whether an infection is treatable with antibiotics or not.

This webinar is open to anyone concerned about the rising resistance to antibiotics for common infections and how best to tackle it in primary care, including patients, primary care practitioners, commissioners, policy makers and researchers.

Contributors:

Dr Emily Brown, Clinical Research Fellow, Centre for Academic Primary Care University of Bristol

Dr Christie Cabral, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Academic Primary Care University of Bristol

Dr Polly Duncan, NIHR Clinical Research Fellow, Centre for Academic Primary Care University of Bristol

Dr Ioana Fodor, Senior Research Projects Manager, Centre for Academic Primary Care University of Bristol

Dr Ashley Hammond, Research Fellow, Centre for Academic Primary Care University of Bristol

Professor Alastair Hay, GP and Professor of Primary Care, Centre for Academic Primary Care University of Bristol