Karamay Central Hospital started to ban the practice of giving patients antibiotic infusions, or IV drips, as routine therapy in outpatient departments on May 3, Karamay Daily reported.

The action was in response to the national health authorities' call to strengthen control on the clinical application of antibiotics, and as such, many patients that previously would be treated with IV drips will now be given medicine in pill form.

It used to be a norm that people who had coughs, colds and fevers were given intravenous (IV) antibiotics as routine therapy, which studies have found was actually a harmful overtreatment. With more doctors speaking out against the practice, the health authorities started to launch rules to curb their use.

The IV ban abides by the modern medicine principles, and also helps alleviate patients' financial burden, according to Liu Yongjiang, vice-director of the Karamay Central Hospital.

Edited by Owen Fishwick