Things to consider when deciding about taking antibiotics

These resources have been co-developed by the Patients Association in partnership with patients, carers, healthcare professionals, and Pfizer Ltd., who funded and supported the project. The information provided is intended to help patients partner with their medical team when deciding about using antibiotics. These resources focus on when a patient is in the hospital, but they may also be used as a helpful reminder whenever you are considering taking antibiotics.

It is important that patients and their medical team work in partnership when making decisions about using antibiotics, whether that’s when a GP prescribes an antibiotic or if you’re in hospital and need antibiotics.

The Patients Association and Pfizer have been working together on how patients can be more involved in preventing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR happens when treatments, such as antibiotics, stop working because the bug causing the infection develops a resistance to the antibacterial.

The AMR Patient Shield Project has produced resources for patients and carers of things to consider when deciding about antibiotics.

Resources

The Things to consider about antibiotics leaflet for patients and carers describes antibiotics, when antibiotics should and shouldn’t be used, and how to partner with your healthcare professional to make sure that antibiotics are not overused.

Animated video for patients and carers about things to consider about antibiotics if you have an infection.

About the AMR Patient Shield Project

A panel made up of patients, carers, and healthcare professionals was brought together earlier this year to develop these resources. The patients on the panel had bacterial infections that required hospital admission, with most of them having had infections that were resistant to antibiotics.

About antibiotic resistance

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat bacterial infections. When used correctly, antibiotics help to fight bacterial infections. However, every time antibiotics are used, bacteria can adapt to it. This means that over time, antibiotics may no longer work to treat bacteria making infections harder to treat. This is antibiotic resistance and why it’s important to use antibiotics properly.

Antibiotic resistance and more broadly, AMR, are on the increase; the UK Government launched a five-year action plan in 2019 aimed at tackling AMR.[1] One of the Government’s key ways of tackling AMR is to ensure antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, are properly used. The resources available on this page give patients the opportunity to play a role in the fight against AMR by partnering with their medical team when deciding about taking antibiotics.

[1] Department of Health and Social Care. Tackling antimicrobial resistance 2019 to 2024: addendum to the UK's 5-year national action plan. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/addendum-to-the-uk-5-year-action-plan-for-antimicrobial-resistance-2019-to-2024/tackling-antimicrobial-resistance-2019-to-2024-addendum-to-the-uks-5-year-national-action-plan Last accessed: October 2022.

ID number-PP-UNP-GBR-2575
Date of prep-November 2022

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