Fight antibiotic resistance with Facebook!

NPS has launched a new Facebook page for Australians to sign up and become antibiotic resistance fighters at www.facebook.com/NPSmedicinewise

Created as part of a new campaign to tackle antibiotic resistance in the community, NPS is asking Australians to pledge to take three simple steps to combat the development and spread of this global problem. If 35,000 people sign up, Australians could significantly reduce antibiotic resistant bacteria.

NPS clinical adviser Dr Danielle Stowasser says antibiotic resistance fighters are everyday Australians who take action to safeguard the health of the whole community by making sure antibiotics remain effective into the future.

“Antibiotics were one of the most important advances in modern medicine, but because we have been misusing these medicines, more and more bacteria are becoming resistant to treatment. With very few new antibiotics being developed, the harsh reality is that if we don’t change the way we use antibiotics now, by the time our children are adults we could run out of effective antibiotics. By 2030 we could be back to the pre-antibiotic era.”

“The good news is we can actually curb, and even reverse the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria if we take action now. Every individual can contribute and make a difference to our future health and the future health of our children.

“This is why we are encouraging all Australians to sign up via Facebook and become an antibiotic resistance fighter. If 35,000 Australians were to join the fight, this would help bring our antibiotic usage as a nation in line with the average of other OECD countries,” Dr Stowasser says.

The mass media component of the campaign also launches this week with a series of advertisements on television, in print and online, featuring everyday Australians donning ‘Resistance fighter’ t-shirts and taking simple actions to curb antibiotic resistance.

“There are some simple steps we can all take to become antibiotic resistance fighters,” says Dr Stowasser,

• Firstly, don’t expect or ask for antibiotics from your health professional if you have a cold or flu, as these are caused by viruses which antibiotics cannot and do not treat.
• Secondly, if you are prescribed antibiotics for an infection, take them exactly as directed by your health professional, and know that not doing so increases antibiotic resistance.
• Finally, always practice good hygiene to stop the spread of germs and encourage others to become resistance fighters too.

To sign up to become an antibiotic resistance fighter, login to your Facebook page and go to www.facebook.com/NPSmedicinewise. Fighters are also encouraged to invite their friends to sign up with the person who gets the most of their friends to join to receive a prize* including

• An iPad pre-loaded with a Medicines List app and other helpful medicinewise tools
• A magazine subscription of your choice to either Prevention Magazine, Practical Parenting or Women’s Health
• $1000 worth of books for a school or day care centre of your choice
• Your chance to meet Mel Doyle in Sydney, thanks to a donation from one of our resistance fighter partners.

For more information about the NPS antibiotic resistance fighter campaign and to view the advertisements online visit http://www.nps.org.au/bemedicinewise/antibiotic_resistance

* Full terms and conditions at www.facebook.com/NPSmedicinewise.

(Source: National Prescribing Serevice Limited (NPS))

More information

For more information about drugs, including an introduction to pharmacology, generic versus branded drugs, and the meaning of drug schedules and pregnancy categories, see Drugs.