Saturday 18th November 2017 is the 10th European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD). 

An interesting update from the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) regarding European Antibiotics Awareness Day:

The ICGP supports European Antibiotics Awareness Day and encourages all our members to educate the public about the effects of the misuse of antibiotics.

The more we use antibiotics, the more antibiotic-resistant bacteria we make, and this means that patients who really need antibiotics are less likely to get better, than they would have 10 or 20 years ago. Antibiotics can cause more harm than good when improperly used. They should only be prescribed when needed. Doctors have a collective responsibility to ensure that antibiotics are used correctly.

The ICGP encourages people with colds and flu not to seek antibiotics. The HSE’s website www.undertheweather.ie provides sound advice on how to take care of ourselves without resorting to antibiotics.