SOS on antibiotics.

11th November 2016

Doctors are asking patients to join them in the fight against super bugs by only taking antibiotics when they really need them.

 GPs in Stockport prescribe over £1.1 million a year on antibiotics but some of the time they are the wrong sort of medicine to take.

Worryingly the more often the drugs are used, the more the bacteria they are designed to tackle, adapt and then the antibiotics no longer work against them.

We’ve all heard about bugs, like MRSA, which are very difficult to treat because they are already resistant to several antibiotics. The NHS want to try to stop super bugs in their tracks and the best way to do this is to cut down on inappropriate antibiotic usage.

 Antibiotics don’t work on viruses – things like coughs, colds, sore throats and the flu – but patients regularly expect them to be doled out when they visit their GP.

They only help to fight infections caused by bacteria – very often serious illnesses like pneumonia, meningitis and kidney infections.

 This week (12th – 20th Nov) marks World Antibiotics Awareness week and doctors and patients alike need to work together to tackle the problem.

 Local GP and Chief Clinical Officer of NHS Stockport CCG Dr Ranjit Gill said: ”Antibiotics can be life-saving drugs so it’s vital we don’t contribute to their failure.

 “There are a few things that patients can do to help us. Firstly, don’t expect to get antibiotics for any illness – your GP really does know best and will prescribe them if you have a bacterial infection that antibiotics can help treat.

 “Secondly, when you are prescribed antibiotics, please take your doses as and when you’re meant to and always complete your course of drugs even if you feel better after a few days.

 “By using antibiotics in the right way you will have helped to ensure that these life- saving medicines are more likely to work when we need them in the future.”

 There are plenty of bugs around as winter approaches but you can self-medicate for most of them. As they are viruses antibiotics won’t work against them.

 The best way to treat them is to drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of rest and use over the counter remedies to ease the symptoms. Ask your pharmacist for advice.