Drug resistance 'threat to health'

THE use of a drug said to increase the risk of C difficile infection increased by almost a third in four years, it was revealed yesterday.

Health officials identified the antibiotic ciprofloxacin in a report on resistance to certain types of drugs in Scotland between 2004 and 2008.

Resistance to the drug is considered a "major threat to public health and patient safety", according to the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group.

It said: "It is accepted that the way in which antimicrobials are used, sometimes inappropriately, will increase the risk of antimicrobial resistance developing."