Antibiotic Resistance - an issue for Everyone What role can - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Antibiotic Resistance

• an issue for Everyone

What role can pharmacists & healthcare staff play in preserving antibiotics?

What is Antibiotic Resistance?

• Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to resist the action
• f an antibiotic
• Antibiotic resistance severely limits the number of antibiotics

available for the treatment of a number of diseases

• Since the discovery and use of antibiotics, more and more

bacteria have become resistant and developed numerous different means of fighting against antibiotics

• Resistance is increasing and few new antibiotics have been

discovered, antibiotic resistance is now a major public health threat

You may also hear the term Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Antibiotics are a group of antimicrobials and are the most important one to protect against resistance.

Why does it matter?

• If we don’t tackle drug resistant infections now, they could

kill an extra 10 million people across the world each year by 2050

• No new antibiotics since 1980
• We will NOT be able to:

⁻

Treat cancer patients with chemotherapy

⁻

Perform operations or invasive diagnostic tests e.g. Stents, knee/hip replacements, dialysis, prostate biopsy

⁻

Treat pre-term babies / have caesarean sections

NI - Department of Health Changing the Culture 2019 -2024 One Health strategy for tackling antimicrobial resistance in NI is aiming for a 15% reduction in antibiotic prescribing in primary care by 2023/24

Why we need to reduce antibiotic use in NI

• NI 2017 - 1.76

million antibiotic prescriptions (approximately 1 course per head of population)

• 80% of antibiotic

prescribing occurs in primary care from GP practices & Out Of Hours

Targeted use of antibiotics is important!!!

It is important to recognise that this is not about

restricting the use of antibiotics in all patients:

• only a small group of patients really need antibiotic

treatment

• the large group of patients, who don’t need an

antibiotic, need advice, reassurance and education

Verheij TJM. The antibiotic revolution should be more

• focussed. Br J Gen Pract 2009; 59(567):716-717

Risk of side effects with antibiotics

Any benefit patients achieve from antibiotics is small:

• Antibiotics reduce symptoms for between 8 and 24

hours at the most

• There is a 1 in 10 chance of causing side effects:

− diarrhoea, − vomiting − rash − allergic reaction (1 in 15) − the risk of carrying a resistant bacteria which can

spread to other people

Actions your Pharmacy can take to help reduce Antibiotic Resistance

• Become an antibiotic guardian
• Display posters and patient

information leaflets

• Provide patient advice on

duration of common infections

• Provide advice on self-care e.g.

drinking plenty of fluids and rest to improve symptoms

• Provide advice on prevention

e.g. good hand hygiene is the single most important way to prevent the spread of infection

“Most get better by” - educates patients on duration of symptoms Safety netting - advises patients when to consult GP Information about antibiotics & AMR All sections can be personalised:

• Products suggested
• Self-care advice
• Referral to GP

Patient Information Leaflet – help patients remember advice

Self-care advice

Patient Advice is Important – make every contact count

Research had shown that patients trust the advice you provide:

• Only take antibiotics for

bacterial infections not cough, colds, sore throats & flu etc.

• Always finish the course
• Do not keep unused

antibiotics for future use

• Do not share your

antibiotics with others

• Return unused antibiotics

to the pharmacy

Promote Self–Care

Keep Antibiotics Working Living Well Resources

• Keep Antibiotics Working Newsletter
• Keep Antibiotics Working Counter

Mat

• Keep Antibiotics Working Posters &

Leaflets

• Keep Antibiotics Working – Take Your

Pharmacists Advice Stickers

• Pharmacy Bag stickers
• Treating your Respiratory Tract

Infection patient information leaflets

Other Resources

• Patient Zone of NI Formulary -

http://niformulary.hscni.net/PatientZone/YourMeds/ Pages/default.aspx

• Antibiotic Guardian - https://antibioticguardian.com/
• Public Health Agency -

https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/directorates/pub lic-health/health-protection/antibiotic-awareness

Dr Michael McBride Chief Medical Officer NI “This is the greatest danger to human health and to medicines worldwide.”