Use Antibiotics Responsibly

PSM News /

Antibiotics are a valuable resource. Since their discovery, they have saved lives and enabled huge developments in medicine and surgery. For instance, cancer treatments and organ transplantation would be impossible if there were no reliable antibiotics to treat patients with infection who are Immunosuppressed.

 

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, both in India and around the world. An estimated around 700,000 people in the world die each year from drug-resistant strains of common bacterial infections including 200,000 newborns who die from infections that don't respond to antibiotic treatment. Antibiotic resistance in children is of major concern because they have the highest rates of antibiotic use and often have fewer antibiotic choices since some antibiotics cannot be prescribed to children.

 

Every time a person takes antibiotics, sensitive bacteria are killed, but resistant ones may be left to grow and multiply. Knowing how to use antibiotics appropriately and safely empowers everyone to be a part of the solution to preserve the life-saving power of antibiotics.

 

Here are a few lists of Do’s and Don’ts:

 

DO’s:

  • Ask your doctor when antibiotics are needed and when other treatments are more appropriate.
  • Follow your doctor's instructions on how to take the antibiotics, finish the course even if you feel better.
  • Ask your physician about vaccines as they are an effective way to prevent infections that may require an antibiotic.

 

DON’Ts:

  • Never take an antibiotic for a viral infection like a cold or flu. Antibiotics do not cure viral infections.
  • Never pressure your doctor to prescribe an antibiotic.
  • Never skip doses or stop taking an antibiotic early, unless your doctor tells you to do so.
  • Never take antibiotics prescribed for someone else.

 

PSM India urges Indian government to take immediate action to counter the growing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, a problem known as antimicrobial resistance.

 

Antibiotics are really precious. We all have a role to play; those who prescribe antibiotics, those who prepare and administer them, and the patients who receive them. We all need to use antibiotics responsibly, so that they are there for us when we really need them. Any of us may need them if we get a serious infection. It's our responsibility to use antibiotics responsibly.