Prescribing in Northern Ireland. Study No. 2: systematic anti-infectives.

THE public and the medical profession generally regard the "antibiotics", by which they mean the synthetic anti-infectives as well as those produced by microorganisms, as the most beneficial group of drugs introduced in the last 35 years. Some concern has been expressed from time to time about the ways they are used, especially in hospital and as an additive to animal feed stuffs. But on the whole the effects of their use are thought to be beneficial. The mortality rate from some infections has fallen dramatically and the pattern of infectious diseases in the community has changed. If this has been an improvement, then the need to prescribe anti-infectives should dwindle. The following study of prescribing was prompted by the knowledge that the prescribing has not dwindled. It was not expected that the study would explain why the prescribing of anti-infectives is still .rising, but it was hoped that the results would stimulate further research into the benefits and dangers.