Using Antibiotics responsibly

Antibiotics are drugs which help our bodies to fight infections when our bodies are overwhelmed with infection.

Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them puts you and your family at risk. To help keep antibiotics working you should only take antibiotics on your doctor or nurse’s advice.

Remember that:

• Antibiotics are life-saving in cases of bacterial infections; however most common infections are viral and will not get better with antibiotics.

• Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can remain in the body for a long time (sometimes years) after taking antibiotics.

• Common side-effects when taking antibiotics include thrush, rashes, vomiting, and diarrhoea – talk to your clinician if you are worried about this.

• Keep antibiotics working; only take them when advised by a health professional, and take antibiotics exactly as prescribed, even if you start to feel better before the course is finished. This way they are more likely to work if you have another infection in the future.

It is important to only use antibiotics as prescribed by a clinician, because antibiotics are specific for each infection, and the dose is specific for each patient. This means that we should:

• Not share antibiotics with friends or family.

• Not purchase antibiotics online or over-the-counter, even though antibiotics can be bought without a prescription in some countries.

• Always take antibiotics exactly as prescribed, for the number of days stated and at the correct times, e.g. three times a day for seven days.

• Return any leftover antibiotics to a pharmacy, these can then be disposed of according to pharmacy protocols.

In the video below, Dr Chris van Tulleken, Infectious Diseases Doctor talks through how you can become an Antibiotic Guardian and help protect these vital medicines from becoming obsolete.

A PDF summary of the video can be found in the downloads section below.

If you would like to become an Antibiotic Guardian, take a few minutes to choose a simple pledge about how YOU can make better use of antibiotics to keep them working for when you really need them.

Please share your pledge in the comments below and feel free to discuss with other learners.

In March 2020 e-Bug also launched the Antibiotic Guardian Youth Badge Leader and Volunteer Activity Pack. This new resources summarises some key e-Bug activities for those supporting home-learning or working with small groups of children. These activities can be adapted to suit younger children and the setting you work in.

Further reading and case studies

The Antibiotic Guardian website hosts several Patient Stories and videos of how antibiotics have helped individuals.