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what does it mean to be antibiotic wise?

five best practices for taking antibiotics from the bc centre for disease control

by joanne peters, postmedia content works

mar 14 2023
read time 2 minute read
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everyone can play a part in fighting antibiotic resistance. supplied
powerful medications that fight infections caused by bacteria — antibiotics are one of medicine’s greatest achievements.
in some cases, bacteria can defeat the medications designed to kill them, leading to infections that are extremely difficult to treat. this can arise from antibiotic misuse.
“anytime we misuse antibiotics, we’re creating the conditions for bacteria to develop resistance,” says nick smith, project manager of the community antimicrobial stewardship (cas) at bc centre for disease control. “this means antibiotics may not be able to kill the bacteria that’s causing your infection and antibiotics will become less effective over time.
“antibiotics don’t treat viral infections,” he adds. “they only treat bacterial infections.”
everyone can play a part in fighting antibiotic resistance. here are five dos and don’ts when it comes to being antibiotic wise.
“don’t keep antibiotics to take down the road when you find yourself feeling sick again,” says nick smith, project manager of the community antimicrobial stewardship (cas) at bc centre for disease control. supplied
“don’t keep antibiotics to take down the road when you find yourself feeling sick again,” says nick smith, project manager of the community antimicrobial stewardship (cas) at bc centre for disease control. supplied

don’t share

when it comes to antibiotics, sharing is not caring.

keep your antibiotics to yourself so they don’t build resistance to bacteria that can infect you or your loved ones at any stage of life, now and in future generations. approximately one in four infections are already resistant to the main prescription drugs used to treat them, according to the council of canadian academies .

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“don’t share them with another family member who is also sick,” says smith.

don’t keep

“don’t keep antibiotics to take down the road when you find yourself feeling sick again,” says smith.

it’s a common misperception that antibiotics treat viruses like the common cold and flu. according to a 2022 national survey , 32.5 per cent of canadians believe that antibiotics “can kill viruses” — they can’t.

up to 50 per cent of women with symptoms of urinary tract infections get better without the use of antibiotics . stay antibiotic wise: recognize that antibiotics only treat illnesses caused by bacterial infections.

in some cases, bacteria can defeat the medications designed to kill them, leading to infections that are extremely difficult to treat. supplied
in some cases, bacteria can defeat the medications designed to kill them, leading to infections that are extremely difficult to treat. supplied

don’t overuse

taking antibiotics when they’re not necessary can give rise to resistance. an estimated one in 19 deaths in canada are caused by antibiotic-resistant infections. if things don’t change, by 2050 we could be looking at up to 10 million deaths caused by drug resistant infections.

“take antibiotics according to the instructions given by your health-care provider,” says smith.

overuse can also lead to side effects, and as with any medication, these can be potentially adverse. antibiotic prescription rates for adults aged 60 and up are the highest of all recorded age groups, increasing from 2010 to 2017.

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do dispose of correctly 

avoid flushing antibiotics down the drain or tossing in the trash. by doing so, they can end up in our waterways and environment, further contributing to the risk of resistance. to safely dispose of antibiotics, return them to your local pharmacy.

do practise prevention

“the best way to ensure you may not need antibiotics is to not get sick in the first place,” says smith.
wash hands regularly, keep up to date of vaccinations and stay home if you’re sick.

to learn more, visit antibioticwise.ca , where information is available in english, punjabi and simplified chinese.

this story was created by content works , postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of bc centre for disease control.

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