Antibiotics are important medicines for treating bacterial infections, however, bacteria can adapt and find ways to survive the effects of an antibiotic.
To slow down the development of antibiotic resistance, the NHS in Worcestershire has launched the ‘Take Care Not Antibiotics’ campaign. The campaign aims to improve public awareness of the need to use antibiotics responsibly to help control and prevent antibiotic resistance superbugs such as Clostridium Difficille (Cdiff) and MRSA from spreading.
To help prevent the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, patients are encouraged to think about the drugs they are requesting and to remember the following advice:
- Antibiotics are important medicines and should only be taken when prescribed by a doctor or other health professional when they believe it is appropriate
- Complete the prescribed course, because not taking the full course encourages the emergence of resistance
- Antibiotics cannot treat infections caused by viruses, such as common colds or flu, because antibiotics are effective only against bacterial infections
- Patients shouldn’t share their antibiotics with anyone else because they are prescribed for them only
- Resistant bacteria can spread from person to person.
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