Geelong is on the frontline of a push to decrease prescribing antibiotics across the country.
A number of GPs in the region are trialling a new finger prick or throat swab to determine if an infection is viral or bacterial.
Early results have already shown a 30 per cent reduction in antibiotics being prescribed to a patient.
Dr Sajal Saha from the Centre in Innovation in Infectious Disease and Immunology Research said the trial was a simple, low-cost test.
Early results from two GP clinics in Geelong show it can reduce antibiotic use by up to 30 per cent,” Dr Saha said.
“This is because it allows doctors to assess whether a range of common respiratory infections are the result of bacterial infections or viral infection and whether the infection is severe enough for antibiotic treatment.
‘This is an important distinction because we know that too often antibiotics are prescribed for viral illnesses that won’t respond to antibiotics and for less severe infection that doesn’t need antibiotics.”
