When people take antibiotics without a prescription, they often take unnecessary medication or choose an inappropriate drug or dose. This practice is associated with avoidable adverse events and may also increase the risk for inducing antibiotic resistance .
What is the problem with unnecessarily prescribing antibiotics?
The overuse of antibiotics — especially taking antibiotics when they’re not the correct treatment — promotes antibiotic resistance . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one-third of antibiotic use in people is not needed nor appropriate. Antibiotics treat infections caused by bacteria.
Why should antibiotics not be used without the doctor’s prescription?
Experts say taking antibiotics without a doctor’s supervision can cause an infection to become more powerful . It can also contribute to the growing number of “superbugs” that are resistant to medications.
Should you take antibiotics without being prescribed?
Never take antibiotics without a prescription . Always follow your doctor’s instructions and take all of your prescribed antibiotics even if you feel well.
Is antibiotic resistance a public health issue?
Antibiotic resistance has the potential to affect people at any stage of life, as well as the healthcare, veterinary, and agriculture industries. This makes it one of the world’s most urgent public health problems . Bacteria and fungi do not have to be resistant to every antibiotic to be dangerous.
How are drug-resistant bacteria affecting public health?
Antibiotic resistance results in a decreased ability to treat infections and illnesses in people, animals and plants. This can lead to the following problems: increased human illness, suffering and death, increased cost and length of treatments , and.
Is there any harm or risk in prescribing unnecessary meds?
Inappropriate polypharmacy — the use of excessive or unnecessary medications — increases the risk of adverse drug effects, including falls and cognitive impairment, harmful drug interactions, and drug-disease interactions , in which a medication prescribed to treat one condition worsens another or causes a new one.
What are the consequences surrounding antibiotic overuse?
Risks of antibiotic overuse or overprescribing include not only increases in antibiotic resistance, but increases in disease severity, disease length, health complications and adverse effects, risk of death, healthcare costs, re-hospitalization, and need for medical treatment of health problems that previously may have ...
What are some of the risks associated with long term antibiotic use that need to be considered?
The overuse of antibiotics has been an important clinical issue, and antibiotic exposure is linked to alterations in gut microbiota, which has been related to risks of various chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer . Also, duration of antibiotic exposure may be a risk factor of premature death.
Why antibiotics should not be taken unless prescribed by a doctor Class 8?
We should not take medicines/drugs unless agreed by a doctor because some medicines may have adverse side effects on our health . Also, one can get addicted to these medicines/drugs which may spoil our health and happiness.
What is the main danger of misusing antibiotics?
Taking antibiotics too often or for the wrong reasons can change bacteria so much that antibiotics don’t work against them . This is called bacterial resistance or antibiotic resistance. Some bacteria are now resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics available. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem.
Why are antibiotics prescribed?
Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent some types of bacterial infections . They are not effective against viral infections, such as the common cold or flu. Antibiotics should only be prescribed to treat health problems: that are not serious but are unlikely to clear up without antibiotics – such as acne.
What is antibiotic resistance and why is it a problem?
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change and can fight off the antibiotic medicines that typically kill them . Antibiotic resistance greatly limits treatment options and is a worldwide health problem. Some strains of bacteria are now superbugs, which means they don’t respond to several different antibiotics.
Why Antimicrobial resistance is a global concern?
Why is antimicrobial resistance a global concern? The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens that have acquired new resistance mechanisms, leading to antimicrobial resistance, continues to threaten our ability to treat common infections .
How big of a problem is antibiotic resistance?
More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year , and more than 35,000 people die as a result.
How does antibiotics affect human health?
In humans, studies have shown that antibiotics raise the risk of weight gain and obesity , as they wipe out beneficial gut bacteria that help regulate weight. In animals, however, this phenomenon has been seen as a positive, with several countries still using antibiotics as growth promoters.
What are the impacts of antibiotics?
Common side effects of antibiotics include nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain . Sometimes these symptoms can lead to dehydration and other problems. Ask your doctor about drug interactions and potential side effects of antibiotics.
How does antibiotic resistance affect the economy?
Recent research by the World Bank indicates that antimicrobial resistance would elevate the rate of poverty and impact low-income countries compared to the rest of the world . Studies show that annual global GDP could decrease by approximately 1% and there would be a 5–7% loss in developing countries by 2050.
Why is it important to take your medication as prescribed?
Taking your medicine as prescribed or medication adherence is important for controlling chronic conditions, treating temporary conditions, and overall long-term health and well-being . A personal connection with your health-care provider or pharmacist is an important part of medication adherence.
What happens if you take pills that aren’t prescribed to you?
If you take drugs not prescribed to you and have an unexpected serious reaction, no one will know what you took, which can delay treatment . Using someone else’s prescription drug can lead to overdose and increase your risk of prescription drug use disorder.
What are the dangers of not taking the medication for the full prescribed?
1. Chronic conditions: Complications from failing to take prescribed medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can dramatically increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other conditions, leading to disability, morbidity and mortality .
