A third of the population uses antibiotics each year, but potentially at least 20 per cent of primary care antibiotic prescriptions in the UK are inappropriate.23 
The 2019-20 ESPAUR report noted that antibiotic consumption has been falling since a peak in 2014. In the period 2015-19, total usage decreased from 19.4 to 17.9 defined daily doses (DDDs) per 1,000 inhabitants per day.4 
However, significant differences remain between primary and secondary care, including the use of specific antibiotics and the duration of use, factors which the Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Prescribing, Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (APRHAI), says need to be monitored.24 
NICE’s guidance for managing common infections in primary care covers infections of:25 
upper and lower respiratory tract 
urinary tract  
gastrointestinal system 
genitals 
skin 
eye 
meningitis 
suspected dental infections outside of dental settings. 
The guidance was updated this year to align with the publication of new national guidance on impetigo, leg ulcers, eczema and human or animal bites. 
The Faculty of General Dental Practice also published its third edition of ‘Antimicrobial Prescribing in Dentistry: Good Practice Guidelines’ in December 2020, which can be accessed online free of charge.26