Today marks the start of World Antibiotic Awareness Week with the aim of increasing global awareness around antibiotic resistance. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics have encouraged the spread of antibiotic resistance, where bacteria mutate and become immune to the drugs we traditionally use to treat them. The worry is that with no substitute, even fairly routine treatments that rely on antibiotics could become increasingly dangerous if we no longer have antibiotics that work.
We can make a difference! As patients and pet owners, we can all help to stop the spread of antibiotic resistance by using antibiotics responsibly. This means:
- Only using antibiotics as prescribed
- Finishing your course as directed: if you don’t, any remaining bacteria are more likely to become resistant to treatment in the future
- Never sharing your antibiotics with others or self-treating
- Visiting your pharmacist before your GP is you have a cold or think you have flu, as antibiotics don’t work against viruses
- Keeping a good hygiene routine to stop the spread of potentially harmful bacteria
Help keep antibiotics working!