Infographic - What health professionals can do

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change to protect themselves from an antibiotic. The more we use antibiotics, the more chance bacteria have to become resistant to them.

1. Consider any safe alternatives to an immediate antibiotic prescription
2. Prescribe in accordance with therapeutic guidelines, and where possible use diagnostics to inform treatment decisions
3. Talk to your patients about the importance of appropriate antibiotic use and the dangers of antibiotic resistance
4. Give your patients advice on how to manage symptoms without antibiotics
5. Apply best practice infection prevention and control
6. Talk to your patients about how to prevent infections and their spread (e.g. vaccination, good hygiene and hand washing)

• For general practice
• For hospitals
• For pharmacy
• For veterinary practice
• Objective 2: Prevention and control of infections and the spread of resistance