CPME contribution to the European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2016

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections. This means that they are efficient in illnesses caused by bacteria, but they are not efficient against viruses – so they will be of no help in case of a cold or the flu.

Sometimes bacteria become resistant to antibiotics; this is what we call “resistance”: resistance is when usual antibiotics become inefficient, don’t help anymore, and infections may then suddenly become life-threatening again, as they were decades ago. Inappropriate use of antibiotics is the main cause of the spread of resistance.

It is therefore essential to take antibiotics only when really necessary. So, never self-medicate with antibiotics, and never use left-over tablets from a previous treatment. Please remember: play your part, and use antibiotics responsibly.

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