Antibiotics are a precious resource that need to be preserved.
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This was one of the main messages shared during Antibiotic Awareness Week from November 12 to 18.
The initiative is aimed at empowering health professionals and the community to be part of the solution in antibiotic resistance – something the World Health Organisation has warned is one of the greatest threats facing human health today.
Launceston General Hospital infectious disease pharmacist Sarah Herd said reducing antibiotic resistance was everybody’s responsibility and something that needed to be taken seriously.
“Antibiotic resistance is happening now,” she said.
“Antimicrobial resistance involves a complex interplay of environmental, clinical and behavioural factors in humans, animals and agriculture.
“To achieve real progress, Australia’s response needs to be integrated across all these sectors.”
Antibiotic resistance occurs when microbes, such as bacteria, become resistant to the drugs used to treat them.
It results from the persistent overuse and misuse of antibiotics in both human and animal health care.
Australia has one of the highest antibiotic prescription rates in the world, with about 30 million issued annually.
Simple steps people can take in reducing antibiotic resistance include not asking for them to treat cold and flus, taking them correctly including complete doses, and practicing good hygiene to help prevent the spread of germs.
With the development of new antibiotics also decreasing, Ms Herd said it was crucial people became better educated about antibiotic use as well as their allergies.
“There are still a lot of confusion about the use and and overuse of antibiotics,” she said.
“What we see often is patients who report an antibiotic allergy, but it may actually be a true allergy.
“Any use of antibiotics needs to be done with care, because the more we use them, the greater the chance of becoming resistant.
“The real concern is that in the future, we don’t want to be facing a situation where people are dying from infections that used to be treatable by antibiotics, but are no longer responding to the medication.”