HEALTH bosses in Worcestershire are reminding patients of the dangers of overusing or misusing antibiotics.

As part of Europeans Antibiotics Awareness Day on Tuesday, November 18, the county’s three Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are urging people not to request antibiotic medication for illnesses they are not able to treat such as flu, colds or other viral infections.

Not only are antibiotics of no benefit against these types of conditions, taking them too often can lead to the body building up a resistance to them, leaving patients at great risk of infections such as clostridium difficle, or c-diff.

The three CCGS have issued a range of advice on properly using antibiotics such as only using them when they have been prescribed by a doctor, taking the full course rather than stopping once the illness has gone and never sharing them with another person.

Medicines assurance pharmacist with the three CCGs Wendy Pigg said the best course of action for non-bacterial illnesses was plenty of rest and staying hydrated.

“There’s been a definite change in behaviour since the launch of the ‘Take Care not Antibiotics’ campaign a couple of years ago, but there’s still a lot more work to be done to make sure that antibiotics remain effective for us and future generations,” she said.

For advice on taking antibiotics properly talk to your GP or a pharmacist.