This week is World Antibiotic Awareness Week!

Antibiotics are essential for treating infections in both animals and humans but they are losing their effectiveness at an increasing rate.

Antibiotic Resistance

Bacteria can adapt and find ways to survive the effects of antibiotics, they become resistant and no longer work. The more you use an antibiotic the more bacteria become resistant to it.

How does this effect me?

The Public Health Campaign Video and their web page details the risks associated with overuse of antibiotics, please do take a read.

Routine treatments such as setting bones, basic operations and even chemotherapy all rely on antibiotics working, these will become increasingly dangerous should the bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.

What can I do?

• Ask your pharmacist to recommend medicines to help treat cold or flu symptoms or pain

• Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed, never save them for later, never share them with others

• Spread the word, tell your friends and family about antibiotic resistance

• Read this leaflet to learn how to look after yourself and your family.

Now a few words from our Dr Ramadani about the use of antibiotics: