World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW)

HIOW ICB have produced some resources to support World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.

Main Message:

Use the shortest effective course lengths for antibiotics

What is the problem with current courses of antibiotics?

• Unnecessarily long courses are one of the factors driving antimicrobial resistance and an increased risk of Clostridioides difficile infection in at-risk populations.
• Antibiotic course durations have often been based on a seemingly arbitrary and weak evidential basis. With antimicrobial resistance recognised as a global threat to public health, reducing course lengths when the evidence demonstrates that this not only does no harm but is potentially safer for the patient.
• “Each additional day of antibiotic therapy is associated with a 4% increase in risk of side effects and a 3% increase in risk of resistance”.

There are two infographics which may be useful to pharmacies. They show antibiotic durations for common infections (adults) and Five conditions that should be treated for 5 days:

• Infographics

Current guidelines for amoxicillin 500mg capsules