About antibiotics
Antibiotics are medicines used to treat a wide variety of infections or diseases caused by bacteria including:
- respiratory tract infections (such as whooping cough and pneumonia)
- urinary tract infections, and
- skin infections.
If you are prescribed antibiotics, it is important that you follow your health professional’s advice on when, how, and for how long to take them. Read more about antibiotics on the NPS MedicineWise website.
Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change to protect themselves from an antibiotic. They are then no longer sensitive to that antibiotic. When this happens, antibiotics that previously would have killed the bacteria, or stopped them from multiplying, no longer work. Read more about antibiotic resistance
You can help fight antibiotic resistance — make a promise to help reduce the prescribing of antibiotics for viral infections like colds and flu.
The side effects of antibiotics can include diarrhoea, nausea & vomiting, thrush & allergic reactions.
It's important to take your antibiotics correctly, and to be aware of interactions with other substances such as alcohol and contraception. Make sure you're medicinewise with your antibiotics
Coughs, colds and sore throats
Antibiotics aren’t likely to help coughs, colds or sore throats,
find out if you need antibiotics for your cold or flu.
Middle ear infections usually get better on their own. Children younger than 2 years may need antibiotics. Read
more about treatments for a middle ear infection
Video
The Pick Up by ONEWAY PICTURES
NPS MedicineWise and Tropfest have partnered to encourage creative individuals or groups to help spread a vital health message to Australians that, through misuse and overuse, antibiotics are losing their power.