HEALTH ORGANIZATION COMBATS ANTIBIOTIC MISUSE
By Adnews Staff
A coalition of health organizations wants to inform Canadians about the appropriate use of antibiotics. The group, called the National Information Program on Antibiotics, will launch a print PSA campaign in the fall entitled: Antibiotics: Use Them Wisely. The campaign will tell doctors to prescribe antibiotics only when necessary, and it will tell patients about the proper use of antibiotics when they are prescribed. It will also inform patients that antibiotics aren't always the way to go in treating an illness such as a cold or flu. The campaign will be created by Manifest Communications of Toronto and will be launched in Maclean Hunter health publications. The agency will also do PR. According to a national Gallup survey, five out of 10 patients seen by Canadian doctors for treatment of colds or flues indicated they want antibiotics to treat the ailment, even though these medicines do not work against the illnesses. Forty-one per cent of physicians said their likelihood of prescribing antibiotics would increase if a patient or parent requests them, even if the drug would not be appropriate. NIPA consists of eight health, medical, patient and pharmacy organizations: The Canadian Infectious Disease Society, The Canadian Medical Association, The Canadian Pediatric Society, The Canadian Pharmacists Association, The Canadian Public Health Association, The Canadian Thoracic Society, the College of Family Physicians of Canada and The Lung Association. NIPA was established in 1996 with an educational grant from Pfizer Canada Inc.