Taking antibiotics when you don't need them can be harmful. To help increase public awareness of antibiotic resistance and the need to protect our antibiotics for future generations, the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland have launched a Keep Antibiotics Working Campaign. The campaign aims to encourage individuals and their families to better understand the role of antibiotics and the importance of self-care for common infections such as coughs and colds.
Taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when you really need them. This puts people at risk of a more severe or longer illness. No one likes being sick and it's especially upsetting when a child is ill. Remember, if you are feeling unwell, antibiotics aren't always needed.
Tackling antibiotic resistance is a key priority for the Scottish Government and the NHS in Scotland. The campaign, which will run until early December, is part of a wider strategy to help preserve antibiotics for future use. Everyone can support the campaign and further information is available from
www.nhsinform.scot/antibiotics.