Help us to beat the super-bugs!

Thursday 08 December 2016

Around 250 people are being prescribed antibiotics every day in Jersey, which is about 25% higher than in England. It's led doctors to warn that they are already seeing cases of Islanders needing specialist care, because the normal drugs have stopped working.

Over-using antibiotics creates bacteria - superbugs - which are resistant to the effects of our most commonly used pills.

With the cold and flu season well underway, the hospital is warning Islanders not to demand antibiotics when they don't need them, which means that today’s easily treatable diseases could have devastating impacts in the future.

They say that World Health Organization data shows extensive antibiotic resistance in every region of the world, and it’s estimated that if action is not taken now, annual worldwide human deaths as a result of antibiotic resistance could reach 10 million by 2050, overtaking deaths due to diabetes and cancer combined. 

Doctors say antibiotics are an important part of everyday health-care, but are now urging Islanders to pay their part in helping to reduce how much we use them, by following these steps: 

1. "Don’t demand antibiotics – you don’t need them every time you’re ill. In fact, antibiotics only treat bacterial infections and not viral infections, so they aren’t effective for the usual colds and associated coughs and sore throats.  Ask about remedies that can treat your symptoms.
2. Take antibiotics exactly as they are prescribed - Never save them for use in the future. Never give them to someone else.
3. Spread the word – Tell your friends and family to use antibiotics properly."

Dr Sarah Whiteman, Director of Primary Care, said “Most people have heard about ‘superbugs’ but they may not appreciate that over use of antibiotics is one of the reasons why bacteria like MRSA and E. coli are so difficult to treat. As a result of antibiotic resistance, medicines are becoming ineffective in treating these ‘superbugs’ and infections are persisting in the bodies of those infected”.

She added, “antibiotic resistance affects everyone. We need to use antibiotics responsibly and make sure we don’t take them for granted. Antibiotics are some of our most precious medicines and we all have a responsibility to protect them."

The hospital says that doctors in Jersey are working hard to reduce their use of antibiotics, explaining to their patients about the risks of antibiotic resistance, and using strategies such as ‘delayed’ prescriptions to ensure antibiotics are used only when needed. However, prescribing rates remain high, around 25% higher than in England, and GPs need the support of their patients.

Dr Ivan Muscat, Director of Infection Prevention and Control, said ‘Whilst the global threat of antibiotic resistance requires a global response, there is no doubt that the quantity of antibiotics consumed in any country is directly related to the degree of antibiotic resistance that country will see. Whilst various physical infection control measures play a vital role in preventing the spread of resistant organisms, this is not enough, particularly in the general community.