Published on: 19 November 2025
Antimicrobials - including antibiotics- are medicines used to prevent and treat infections. The more they are used, and misused, the less effective they become over time. In some cases, they could stop working altogether.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has the potential to be a huge problem in the future. That’s why NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire is urging everyone to only use antibiotics when prescribed and directed by health care professionals.
If bacteria and other causers of illness develop a resistance to antibiotics, it means that once routine treatments are rendered ineffective, and preventable illnesses become increasingly dangerous. That puts everyone at risk. The way to halt the advance of this resistance to vital medications is to make sure you aren’t overusing or misusing your antibiotics.
What does this mean? It means you should:
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Only take antibiotics when prescribed by a healthcare professional for a particular illness at the specified time
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Antibiotics don’t work on viral infections, so don’t waste them on a cold or flu
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Don’t keep left over antibiotics and use them for other illnesses later or share them with friends and family.
The important thing to remember is that holding on to unused antibiotics and taking them without a prescription or when they aren’t necessary increases the risk of antimicrobial resistance. The antibiotics become less effective as the bugs learn to protect themselves against them, making today’s medication ineffective in the future. Avoid the risk. Use Antitbiotics only when directed by health care professionals.
Will Taylor, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire says: “Antibiotics work by killing bacteria or stopping it from spreading, helping the body’s natural immune system to fight the infection. They don’t treat or prevent viruses which can cause coughs and colds and other infection. Overuse or taking antibiotics when they are not needed can have an adverse effect, putting you and your family at risk. Many routine treatments such as setting broken bones or cancer chemotherapy rely on having antibiotics that work. We all need to work together to stop inappropriate antibiotic use.”
