Antibiotic Awareness Day

Some of my favourite sounding drugs are antibiotics. Is it wrong to have favourite drugs?
Moxifloxacin sounds to me like a character in a children's book, but is actually  fourth-generation synthetic fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent.
One of my favourite pharmacy jokes has an antibiotic as the punchline*. I know, pharmacy jokes....wrong! I definitely need to get out more.

So today is antibiotic awareness day which is aimed at raising awareness of the appropriate use of antibiotics in order to reduce antibiotic resistance which happens when antibiotics become ineffective against certain bugs, generally through inappropriate prescribing or use.

The main messages for today are to reduce inappropriate use and prescribing

Inappropriate use includes:

• not completing a course of antibiotics as prescribed
• skipping doses of antibiotics
• not taking antibiotics at regular intervals
• saving some for later

Inappropriate prescribing includes:

• unnecessary prescription of antibiotics
• unsuitable use of broad-spectrum antibiotics
• wrong selection of antibiotics and inappropriate duration or dose of antibiotics

In short. Antibiotics are not always the answer. Take care. Not antibiotics!

*Q. What do you use an erythrotrap for?
A. To catch your erythromycin.