France is one of the countries with the highest consumption of antibiotics in Europe, therefore, the problems of rational use of antibiotics and control of antibiotic resistance are very relevant to it.

The new program of the French government includes the realization of a vast public enterprise among doctors and patients, the free supply of rapid tests for the diagnosis of streptococcal infection, as well as the support of the activities of local authorities.

During the first stage of the program, which is conducted by national insurance companies, 1,000 patients and 500 physicians will be interviewed to clarify their understanding of antibiotic prescription and antibiotic resistance.

Patients will be asked if antibiotics have a calming effect, have they ever heard of antibiotic resistance. Doctors will discover the range of diseases in which patients most often insist on prescribing antibiotics, as well as a typical reaction of patients in a situation where the doctor tells them that antibiotics will not be prescribed.

Round tables will be organized with the participation of 100 general practitioners to exchange experiences in the field of antibiotic use with a discussion of the factors that could make a decision in favor of prescribing antibiotics or, conversely, to abandon their Appointment. 60,000 general practitioners will receive newsletters with a detachable coupon with an offer to express their point of view on the issues under discussion.

The program also provides for the broadcasting of 2 films on 6 national television channels on the use of antibiotics, the distribution of information brochures for the population in the waiting rooms of the doctors' waiting rooms, nurseries.

In order to reduce the unreasonable prescription of antibiotics for tonsillopharyngitis, which in the vast majority of cases have a viral etiology and do not require the appointment of antibiotics, doctors will receive free "strepto tests" and training courses will be organized on their proper use. As a pilot study in Burgundy showed, the introduction of the test by 50% reduced the frequency of unreasonable prescription of antibiotics in this region. If we extrapolate this data to the whole country, this would allow us to avoid 6-7 million prescriptions of unreasonable antibiotics. At the same time, 72% of doctors said that using the test had changed their treatment tactics and 97% of patients were extremely satisfied that they had done the test.

A government committee has been set up to monitor the implementation of the five-year program.