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A large number of antibiotics prescribed in New Zealand are of no benefit according to new research from the University of Auckland.
"Antibiotic resistance is a steadily growing problem in New Zealand and around the world, and the rate of spread of antibiotic-resistant germs is dependent on how much antibiotic is used by people in the country," the report's lead author Dr Mark Thomas told Guyon Espiner.
"New Zealand is a country with a high level of antibiotic use, much higher than many other countries.
"The amount of antibiotic used per head of population in New Zealand is about three times what it is in Norway or Denmark."
Dr Thomas says the high level of use is due to pressure on doctors and people's worry.
"It's expectation from people in the community, that when they're unwell they need an antibiotic to help them get better, and a belief that the antibiotic won't do them any harm.
"And then it's the pressure on doctors to prescribe antibiotics for people who think they would benefit from them."
Doctors are the ones writing the prescriptions, so they need to change their behaviours, Dr Thomas says.