Warning over '˜unnecessary' use of antibiotics

Residents are being warned that taking antibiotics when they are not needed puts them at risk of more severe and longer illnesses, as the bugs the medicine kills become more resistant to the treatment.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Oct 2017, 17:47 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 05:22 BST
Katy Jackson, Chief Pharmacist at NHS Brighton and Hove CCG (Photograph: Sam Stephenson) SUS-171001-150818001Katy Jackson, Chief Pharmacist at NHS Brighton and Hove CCG (Photograph: Sam Stephenson) SUS-171001-150818001
Katy Jackson, Chief Pharmacist at NHS Brighton and Hove CCG (Photograph: Sam Stephenson) SUS-171001-150818001

The NHS in Brighton and Hove is urging patients to trust doctors and nurses advice on whether they need antibiotics and if they are prescribed, to take them as directed.

Katy Jackson, chief pharmacist at Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them puts you and your family at risk of more severe or longer illness.

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“Antibiotics becoming less effective is one of the biggest threats facing medicine today. Everyone can play their part by taking doctors and nurses’ advice on antibiotics as it is vital we use this precious resource in the right way - the right drug, at the right dose, at the right time for the right duration.”

She said antibiotics help ward off infections during surgery and treat serious bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. However, they have increasingly been used for everyday viral infections (such as colds or flu) where they are not effective.

Related topics:ResidentsBrightonHoveNHS