“Widespread misconceptions” about the role of antibiotics has led to patients sharing “partially used” drugs on Facebook and “hoarding antibiotics for a later date”, the NPA and UKHSA today (May 6) warned.
The NPA said that a “sample survey of around 400 pharmacies” between April 23 and 27 found that around four in five (79%) pharmacies “refused direct requests from patients for [unnecessary] antibiotics for minor conditions such as colds at least once a day”.
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A quarter (25%) of respondents told the NPA that “patients frequently returned partially used antibiotics”, it added.
And over a third (37%) said that they were “aware of patients regularly hoarding antibiotics for a later date”, it said.
“Just in case”
The survey found that patient misinformation led to “concerning” requests both over the counter and during Pharmacy First consultations.
Pharmacists reported that patients request antibiotics “before going on holiday just in case of illness”, the NPA said.
Read more: ‘Limited’ government progress on antimicrobial resistance threat, warns watchdog
And pharmacists also reported that they saw “patients returning from abroad with significant quantities of antibiotics for conditions that would not normally be treated by them in the UK”.
Patients even try “to share partially used prescription antibiotics on community reuse Facebook groups”, respondents said.
“Widespread misconceptions”
Commenting on the findings, UKHSA’s lead pharmacist for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Diane Ashiru-Oredope said that “addressing misconceptions about taking antibiotics is an important part of tackling antibiotic resistance”.
“Not being able to effectively prevent and treat infections is one of the biggest threats to our health,” she added.
“Taking action not only protects our own individual health - it also protects everyone in our communities and future generations,” she said.
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And new NPA chair Olivier Picard said that the survey showed that “there are widespread misconceptions about the role that antibiotics can play among some patients”.
“Pharmacies take very seriously their roles as antimicrobial stewards and provide more clinical services than ever before, taking pressures away from GPs and the rest of the health system,” he added.
The findings come as UKHSA last month launched a new digital campaign led by mascot ‘Andi Biotic’ to tackle misconceptions about antibiotics.
Read more: Pharmacy First to be ‘closely monitored’ for antimicrobial resistance risk
The “comedic mascot character” aims to target “young adults” aged 18-34, the body said at the time.
And in February, the National Audit Office (NAO) announced that the government has made “limited progress” on reducing AMR and the UK remains “a long way from” plans made to “control, contain and mitigate” it.
Despite the government spending around £567 million on AMR programmes between 2020/21 and 2023/24, “there has been no sustained reduction in the amount of AMR-related human infections that the government tracks”, the NAO said at the time.
