By Charlotte Webster-
Oxford University researchers and the NHS Trust have condemned the current advice on antibiotics.The authors claim that advice given to patients about antibiotics, put patients at risk. Members of the Oxford research biomedical centre smore likelyay drug resistant bacteria or superbugs are more likely under longer treatment, than tretament stopped early.
The brainy bunch have criticised doctors, educators, and policy makers for spreading the wrong message that patients should ‘complete the course’. The team inist that the claim is not based on evidence. Rather, the leading collabotarors in ARK hospital, an NIHR funded research programme, insist that stopping antibiotics sooner, rather than late, is a medically more effective way to prevent patients from taking too much antibiotics.
Doctors are experts in their field, and are expected to be sufficiently knowledgeable about everything to do with antibiotics. the correct medicaton necessary for each type of illness or conditions. They spend 6 years studying medicine at University, and have access to tonnes of research conducted by medical scholars and experts. The criticism coming from repsected researchers challenges the essence and knowledge of doctors in their field. Professor Sarah Walker, co team leader for Antimicrobial and modernisng  microbiology at the oxford BRC, said : ”one reason the complete the course advice is sso resilient is because it is clear, simple and unambiguous, and the behaviour it calls for is easily followed”.
”But evidence suggests that stopping antibiotics sooner is a safe and effective way to reduce antibiotics overuse. Walker went on to state that completing the course goes aginst one of the most fundamental and widespread beliefs that people have, that e should take as little medication as possible. Antibiotics are a finte and precious resource which should be conserved by tailoring treatment duration for individual patients”, she said. Her comments will cast doubt over the professional competence of doctors, given her assertion that policy makers have also been fooled into embracing the erroneous message from medical professionals.
The Oxford University research team say their findings are more evidence based, and grounded in carefully assessed experiments. A full publication of their completed research is expected anytime soon. It could have a groundbreaking impac on the avice that should accompany antibiotics, but doctors may also have to explain why it took a group of Oxford researchers to highlight a flaw in the practise of the industry.