A third annual Antibiotic Amnesty campaign is underway in Birmingham and Solihull, with local healthcare staff encouraging everyone throughout the region to return their old or unused antibiotics to their nearest pharmacy to dispose of them safely and help keep antibiotics working.
The month-long campaign, which began locally, has been adopted across the entire Midlands, with over 300 local pharmacies supporting the amnesty throughout November 2023.
The Antibiotic Amnesty overlaps with World Antibiotic Awareness Week (18-24 November) and aims to raise awareness and promote the safe use and disposal of antibiotics.
Over time, the misuse and unsafe disposal of antibiotics has contributed to an increase in antibiotic resistance meaning they becoming less effective against harmful bacteria. This poses a significant threat to the health of patients, both in Birmingham and Solihull and worldwide.
The World Health Organisation has described the rise of the antibiotic resistance as a global health threat, and it is estimated that 10 million global deaths will be caused by antibiotic resistance every year by 2050, unless action is taken now.
During November, in addition to encouraging the public to return their old or unused antibiotics to their nearest pharmacy, healthcare staff will be speaking to patients about why you should never save antibiotics for later (unless instructed by a healthcare professional), never share antibiotics with others and never flush antibiotics down the sink or toilet, or dispose of via domestic waste.
Patients should only take antibiotics when advised by a health professional and complete the course of antibiotics.
Lisa Stalley-Green, Chief Nursing Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at NHS Birmingham and Solihull, said: “Increasing levels of antibiotic resistance in the UK and worldwide threatens the health of everyone.
“Antibiotic resistant infections are much harder to treat and may mean that many of the advances in medicine that rely on antibiotics, such as chemotherapy or routine operations, become increasingly unsafe in the future.
“With winter illnesses on the rise, such as colds, sore throats and flu, if someone finds leftover antibiotics in their bathroom cabinet or in their handbag and gives that medication to an unwell friend, they will be doing more harm than good.
“Unfortunately, the reality is, saving antibiotics for later or sharing them with others is dangerous and can have huge consequences.
“Taking the wrong kind of antibiotics for your infection may kill off good bacteria inside your body, for no benefit.
“The antibiotic might not be suitable and the correct treatment may be delayed as a result, and it could interact with other medicines or make the other person ill.
“You should only take antibiotics when advised by a health professional, and if you take antibiotics when you do not need them, it will put you at more risk in the future.
“It’s important for all of us, health professionals and public alike, to support the Antibiotic Amnesty, so we can help keep antibiotics working.”
Antibiotics are a vital tool for modern medicine and are used to treat infections such as pneumonia, meningitis and tuberculosis, as well as being used to avoid infections during chemotherapy, caesarean sections and other surgeries.
Antibiotic resistance is when the drug no longer works on the bugs it is trying to kill.
The more antibiotics are used, the less effective they become at stopping bacteria, and the less they work at making us better when we need them.
The Antibiotic Amnesty, led locally by NHS Birmingham and Solihull and NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board, is being supported by GPs, dental practices and other health services.
During last year’s Antibiotic Amnesty, 883 full or part packs of antibiotics were returned to pharmacies across the Midlands for safe disposal.
A total of 343 pharmacies in the Midlands supported the amnesty and local pharmacists had 4,678 conversations with the public about the amnesty and its importance to patient safety.
Pharmacies will always accept unwanted medicines from people or households for safe disposal.
Medicines returned to a pharmacy are safely stored, collected by a licensed waste contractor and taken for safe disposal by incineration.
You can find your nearest local pharmacy via the NHS website and more information about antibiotics is available on the NHS Birmingham and Solihull website.