Antibiotics

Antibiotics are effective drugs, but they are not a cure for all diseases. And if not taken correctly, they can do more harm than good. Learn how to use them safely.

ANTIBIOTICS? ONLY FOR BACTERIA AND WITH A DOCTOR'S PRESCRIPTION!

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat diseases caused by bacteria. They do not cure diseases caused by fungi, parasites or viruses (such as the flu or a cold).

However, they may be indicated for the treatment of bacterial infections associated with infections by these agents (e.g. bacterial pneumonia, which sometimes occurs in frail people with the flu).

Although effective when used properly, it is dangerous to take antibiotics on your own.

That's why they require a prescription - the doctor has to assess the situation to make sure it's an infection caused by bacteria and choose the most suitable antibiotic to treat it.

Using antibiotics without any indication can put your health at risk. Do you know why? 

• You'll still be sick
• You run the risk of continuing to transmit your illness to other people;
• It paves the way for a public health problem called bacterial resistance.

IS ALSO IN YOUR HANDS

Using antibiotics correctly is half the battle to prevent the spread of bacterial resistance, and it's within your reach. Find out how:

• Use them only when prescribed by your doctor, don't take them on your own or ask your pharmacist for them without a prescription.
• Always take the indicated dose, respecting the schedule and until the end of treatment
• Don't stop taking the antibiotic even if you feel better, there may still be bacteria alive even though the symptoms of the disease have subsided.
• If you have medicine left over, don't save it for another time - take it to your pharmacy (Valormed Service)
• Don't share antibiotics with other people - each case is different!

Remember: by not giving you an antibiotic without a prescription, your pharmacist is only protecting you and the community.

Bacterial resistance is the name given to the phenomenon that occurs when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. As organisms that adapt very easily, when we use antibiotics unnecessarily or not as prescribed, bacteria develop mechanisms that allow them to neutralize the effect of the antibiotic. This makes it difficult to treat some infections and, in the future, there may even be infections that are almost impossible to treat with antibiotics

copyright © by the National Association of Pharmacies

revision: November 2022 Infosaúde

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