9 July 2017 - Australian GPs are prescribing antibiotics at up to nine times recommended rates, a new study has found, in a trend that could see the emergence of deadly superbugs and put common medical procedures at risk.

Antibiotics are not recommended for people with chest colds caused by acute bronchitis or children with bronchiolitis. But patients with these conditions were given antibiotics in 85% of cases, a study published in The Medical Journal of Australia has found.

Researchers believe that GPs were prescribing antibiotics at a rate four to nine times higher than recommended by clinical guidelines for acute respiratory infections including rhinosinusitis (which affects the nose and sinuses) and bronchitis.

Read Sydney Morning Herald article