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The Maltese still consume far too much antibiotics, which could cause resistance to them when they are needed later on. Sarah Carabott gets an update on the situation. At least two out of five people taking antibiotics in Malta don’t need to, according to tTwo out of every five who take antibiotics do not need them
The Maltese still consume far too much antibiotics, which could cause resistance to them when they are needed later on. Sarah Carabott gets an update on the situation. At least two out of five people taking antibiotics in Malta don’t need to, according to the chairman of the National Antibiotic Committee. The practice increases the risk that treatment will not work when a patient has a bacterial infection, warns Michael Borg. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial illness but are not effective against viruses. However, there are still not enough people who are aware of this. The figures show that the Maltese are the second highest consumers of antibiotics in Europe. The practice of prescribing antibiotics for viral conditions has gone down among local doctors but their use within the community – which is where 70 per cent of the consumption takes place – continues to increase, says Prof. Borg, who is head of infection control and sterile services at Mater Dei Hospital. He puts this down partly to the ageing population, with the elderly being more susceptible to bacterial infections. But it is known that in the Mediterranean, patients expect a quick fix, while some doctors... Read more