LONDON, September 11 /PRNewswire/ --

Patients often receive too much of the appropriate antibiotic treatment
to prevent postoperative infections, research launched at the British
Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester has shown. Researchers at the
University of Sunderland investigated the use of antibiotics in surgical
patients at Sunderland Royal Hospital. Current guidelines1 recommend set
doses of antibiotics for surgical patients to reduce the risk of
post-operative wound infections, but researchers found 75% of patients
received more antibiotic than the recommended dose. A previous study of
antibiotic prescribing at Sunderland Royal Hospital (2006) revealed more than
half of the patients received more than the recommended doses of certain
antibiotics. As a result, the hospital's Pharmacy Department adjusted the
electronic prescribing system so that when medicines were being prescribed a
mandatory stop date had to be included. The recent research audited the
effectiveness of the mandatory stop dates and found a 20% increase in the
over-prescribing - indicating the stop date may serve to prolong courses of
antibiotics because there is no need for a review of patient's medications on
an ongoing basis. Dr Rachel Etherington who led the research said: "There is
an urgent need for pharmacists to play a role in advising prescribers of
appropriate length of antibiotic treatment and for the introduction of agreed
local guidelines. "The current national guidelines are inconsistent which may
serve only to confuse prescribers as to the appropriate duration of
antibiotic therapy. Pharmacists are experts in medicines and have a key
advisory role to play. The over-prescribing of antibiotics can decrease their
future effectiveness and lead to antibiotic resistance." Reference number:
Practice 76

Notes to Editors

Data was collected over a three month period from,
November to January 2006, from patients admitted to vascular and
gastrointestinal surgery wards. All the patients who were prescribed
cefuroxime and metronidazole were identified from the Hospital Information
System (HISS) and details of dose, frequency, start and stop dates were
recorded. Medical notes were scrutinised for surgical procedure and
additional information which would indicate the need for a prolonged course
of therapy. Data was collected from 50 patients who were prescribed
cefuroxime and metronidazole during the period of the study. Antibiotic
prophylaxis was recommended for all of the surgical procedures (19 in total)
included in the study. The British Pharmaceutical Conference - entitled "The
medicines maze: balancing risks and benefits" - takes place from 10th to 12th
September, 2007, at Manchester Central (formerly Manchester International
Convention Centre). The theme of BPC 2007 is reflected throughout the
programme, with keynote speeches and workshops addressing crucial technical
and professional issues that are facing pharmacy today. The conference will
showcase the latest developments in pharmaceutical science and practice
research and include discussion and debate led by expert speakers. References
1. British National Formulary and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network
Reference number: Practice 76 2. Mohammed F, Holden J, Etherington R. Audit
of cefuroxime and metronidazole prophylaxis in general surgery at Sunderland
Royal Hospital. Int J Pharm Pract 2006;14(2):B115-116.