There are resources available to ensure patients with self-limiting infections receive consistent messages from GPs, nurses and pharmacies. 

The TARGET (Treat Antibiotics Responsibly, Guidance, Education, Tools) antibiotics toolkit was developed by Public Health England (PHE) in collaboration with the Royal College of General Practitioners and several other professional bodies. It is designed to be used by the whole primary care team with a focus on safe, effective, appropriate and responsible antibiotic prescribing. 

The toolkit includes a ‘Treating your infection’ patient information leaflet, which can be used during consultations and given to patients to explain why they have not been prescribed antibiotics. The leaflet outlines the usual duration of common viral infections, self care advice and also when to seek help. Information on why antibiotics should only be taken when they are really needed is also provided. Initially developed for GPs, the leaflet has been adapted for use within community pharmacy and is available via the RCGP website.

When advising on self-limiting conditions, it is helpful to think about the Six Rs in the RPS Antimicrobial Stewardship Quick Reference Guide and provide: 

In 2017 a national campaign ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ was launched by PHE to reduce public expectations for antibiotics and help ease pressure on healthcare professionals to prescribe. This year’s campaign runs from 23 October to 16 December and features advertising on TV, radio, digital and social media, in addition to PR. Free resources are available to use in local awareness campaigns.