U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week
takes place November 18 – 24, 2021 and is an annual
observance that gives participating organizations an opportunity to raise
awareness of the importance of appropriate antibiotic use to combat the threat
of antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics can save lives, but patients and
providers need to outweigh the risks of side effects and antibiotic resistance,
especially during a global pandemic.
“Before
COVID-19, there was a larger focus on antibiotic awareness," says Aspirus System
Antimicrobial Stewardship Coordinator and Infectious Diseases Pharmacist
Tristan O’Driscoll. “Antibiotics don’t treat viruses such as the flu or
COVID-19, but patients often expect them when visiting their family physician
and they frequently get what they want.”
Antibiotic
resistance occurs when germs such as bacteria develop the ability to defeat the
drugs designed to kill them. People lose the ability to treat infections when
antibiotics lose their effectiveness according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
The
CDC also states that an antibiotic will not make one feel better if they have a
virus. Respiratory viruses usually go away in a week or two without treatment.
“You’re
honestly better off managing your symptoms with over-the-counter solutions,”
says O’Driscoll. “They will actually make you feel better unlike antibiotics
which will only cause harm if you only have a viral infection.”
Everyone
can help improve antibiotic prescribing and use. Improving the way healthcare professionals
prescribe antibiotics, and the way we take antibiotics, helps keep us healthy
now, helps fight antibiotic resistance, and ensures that these life-saving
antibiotics will be available for future generations.
For more information on antibiotic awareness,
visit CDC.gov.