Slovak Health Ministry calls for reduction in the consumption of antibiotics

2010-02-22

The Slovak Health Ministry has asked doctors to be more prudent when prescribing antibiotics and to use the C-reactive protein (CRP) test in order to determine whether the antibiotic is really necessary before prescribing it. According to the Ministry, many infections, particularly in children, are caused by viruses, and in such cases treatment involving antibiotics is ineffective. A test with the C-reactive protein, the acute stage protein which multiplies during a bacterial inflammation, will help the doctor to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. This could lead to a reduction in the relatively high level of consumption of antibiotics in Slovakia and prevent the problem of growing bacterial resistance.
The Ministry says that the cost of the test is covered by obligatory health insurance.