Antibiotic prescription practices of general practitioners

The emergence of drug-resistant organisms is a major problem facing health care providers worldwide. We describe the results of a questionnaire sent to 100 Irish GPs from the 2004 Irish Medical Directory in order to determine their attitudes and practices regarding the prescription of antibiotics. 75 responses were valid. 71 (94.7%) agreed antibiotic resistance is a major problem in Ireland. 61 (81.3%) agreed GPs over-prescribe antibiotics. 52 (69.3%) felt under pressure by patients to prescribe antibiotics. 5 (6.7%) admitted frequently and 33 (44.0%) admitted sometimes prescribing antibiotics to patients who may not need them, especially younger (p = 0.024) and rural GPs (p = 0.024). Antibiotics are over-prescribed in General Practice in Ireland and this is an area of concern, perhaps contributing to the increase in antimicrobial resistance.