AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines. This makes infections harder to treat and increases the risk of disease spreading, severe illness and death.
Antimicrobial medicines are used to prevent and treat infections.
Types of antimicrobial medicines include:
Antibiotics are a type of medicine used for treating bacterial infections. They should not be used to treat viruses. Antivirals may be prescribed to treat some viruses, for example shingles or the flu, in certain circumstances.
Antibiotics are needed for serious bacterial infections including:
For some people with a urinary tract infection (UTI), impetigo and certain skin infections, it might be possible for you to be treated safely and effectively with antibiotics in your community pharmacy without having to contact your GP.
Antibiotics also decrease the risks of some medical or surgical treatments, including:
If AMR continues to develop and medicines are less effective in treating infections, these procedures would then have a higher risk of infection-related complications.
Everyone can work together to help reduce the risk of AMR and ensure that antimicrobial medicines continue to be effective in the future. You can help by: