Skip to content

Antimicrobial stewardship and resistance

What is antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats we face. Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria, but every time we take them, we give the bacteria a chance to fight back. Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria find a way to defeat the drugs designed to kill them.  

Antibiotics are becoming less effective because we are overusing them and, in some cases, not using them properly. This is a problem we must tackle now before it gets worse. 

Globally, almost 5 million people die every year due to infections associated with antibiotic resistance. Unless we act now, routine treatments such as chemotherapy, organ transplants and joint replacements will no longer be possible because the antibiotics needed to make them safe will have stopped working.  

Antibiotics are a precious resource and we need to treat them that way. We must all act now to slow the spread of antibiotic resistance. 

Transcript – What is antibiotic resistance?

When was the last time you had an infection? It probably wasn’t a worry because you know you can get antibiotics. But the problem is that antibiotics don’t kill bacteria as well as they used to.

The bacteria have become resistant, in fact, there are some bacteria which are now completely resistant to all antibiotics. This is one of the biggest threats to everyone on Earth, and the problem is only going to get worse.

Unless we act fast and together, we’re going to enter an era where no antibiotics work. It will be like going back to the 1930s, before they were discovered. Infections we now regard as trivial were often fatal. Complex surgery was impossible because of the risk of infection, in fact, modern medicine depends massively on antibiotics.

Did you know that cancer treatment destroys the immune system, and most patients need antibiotics to survive? Imagine, no more heart, bowel, or bone operations, no more cancer treatments. This is where we’re heading. But with just three simple steps, we can all become antibiotic guardians.

Step 1: Don’t demand antibiotics from your doctor. We’ve all been there, begging for antibiotics because we felt terrible, or worse still looking after a sick child. We don’t need them every time we’re ill. In fact although everyday infections may make you feel unwell, antibiotics make very little difference to colds, flu, sore throats, and coughs. So ask your pharmacist about over-the-counter remedies that can treat your symptoms.

Step 2: Take antibiotics exactly as they’re prescribed. Never save them for use in the future, and never give them to someone else. They’ll work better, and the bacteria are less likely to become resistant.

Step 3: Spread the word. Tell your friends and family to use antibiotics properly. Send them this video and share it.

Antibiotics are some of our most precious medicines, and we’re going to lose them unless we all become antibiotic guardians.

How can we keep antibiotics working?

Remember, antibiotics aren’t always the answer. When they are prescribed, they are prescribed specifically for you and your infection.  

We can all play a part in slowing the spread of antibiotic resistance by following these steps:  

  • Only take antibiotics when told to by your doctor, pharmacist, nurse or dentist. 
  • Always take antibiotics exactly as prescribed. 
  • Never save antibiotics for later or give them to someone else.

What should antibiotics be used for?

Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria. They should only be taken when prescribed by a healthcare professional. Your doctor will only prescribe antibiotics when you need them – for example, for a kidney infection or pneumonia. In some cases, such as when they are used to treat meningitis, antibiotics can be lifesaving.  

If we don’t use antibiotics when we don’t need them, they’ll be more likely to work when we do. 

Why shouldn’t antibiotics be used to treat colds, coughs and sore throats?

Antibiotics should only be used to treat infections caused by bacteria.  

All colds and most coughs and sore throats are caused by viruses. Generally your body will fight these infections on its own.  

If you take antibiotics for a viral infection, you are exposing bacteria in your gut to antibiotics unnecessarily. These bacteria will become resistant to the antibiotics and could later cause an infection.  

Can antibiotics resistance spread?

Yes. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria don’t just affect you. They can easily spread to other people (and animals), especially those in close contact with you, such as your family, friends and loved ones.  

How should I dispose of antibiotics?

Always return unused antibiotics to your local pharmacy. They can dispose of them safely. Never throw antibiotics in the bin or flush them down the sink or toilet. This contaminates our water sources, threatening human and animal health. 

What will happen if we can’t stop the spread of antibiotic resistance?

If we don’t slow the spread of antibiotic resistance right now, by 2050 it is estimated that over 10 million people will die each year from drug resistant infections globally. That’s one person every three seconds dying of an infection that we can no longer treat. 

In the future, the risk of infection will be so high that medical interventions that are common today, such as cancer treatments and surgery, will be too dangerous to undertake.  

Leaflets to discuss with patients

Leaflets to discuss with patients can be found on the RCGP eLearning website.

TARGET antibiotics toolkit hub

TARGET stands for Treat Antibiotics Responsibly, Guidance, Education and Tools. It is a toolkit designed to support primary care clinicians to champion and implement antimicrobial stewardship activities. The resources can also be used to support CPD and revalidation requirements.

Table of contents:

  • HARP SharePoint

    Further reports for healthcare professionals are available on the HARP SharePoint site.

Further information

No data found for this topic

Resources

View all

Reports

Latest antimicrobial stewardship reports

View all

Data

  • Antibiotic Eye online portal

    The ‘Antibiotic Eye’ online portal enables healthcare professionals in Wales to have more localised and…