CDC Promotes Get Smart About Antibiotics Program

Due to an increase in antibiotic resistance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a program to educate the general public and health professionals about this growing problem. Their goal is to provide information about the appropriate use of antibiotics. The name of the program is Get smart, know when antibiotics work.

Every year millions of people visit their doctors due to cold and flu symptoms, sore throats and bronchitis. Both the common cold and the flu are caused by viral infections. Often times people expect the doctor to write a prescription for an antibiotic to treat their cold symptoms. The problem with this is that antibiotics are not effective in treating a viral infection. Antibiotics are only effective in treating bacterial infections.

Despite this fact, doctors often feel pressure to give patients antibiotics when they are not indicated. In a recent issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) 13% of doctors admit to using antibiotics as a placebo. A placebo is a treatment or medication that the doctor does not expect will make a difference in the outcome beyond the patients positive belief that the treatment will work.

The CDC is trying to help consumers understand when it is appropriate to use antibiotics and when they provide no benefit. They say taking antibiotics when you have a viral infection may do more harm than good putting you at increased risk for antibiotic resistant infections. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, then can change in various ways and become resistant to the antibiotics they have been exposed to and sometimes to others in the same class. The next time they are exposed to the antibiotic, the drug is less effective or not at all effective and the bacteria continue to grow.

To avoid the development of resistant bacteria it is important to know which conditions should not be treated by antibiotics. The CDC says infections that are caused by viruses should not be treated with antibiotics. These conditions include colds, flu, most coughs and bronchitis, sore throats (except strep throat) and some ear infections.

The CDC feels strongly about preventing the development of resistant bacteria because these resistant bacteria can spread quickly from person to person threatening the community with difficult to treat infections. The CDC has gone as far as sending letters to many major retailers raising concerns about some of their antibiotic promotions. Large chains like Giant Food Stores, Meijer, Publix, ShopRite, Stop & Shop and Wegmans are promoting free antibiotics. Some of these retailers have tied their promotions to the cold and flu season. These free antibiotic promotions are putting even more pressure on doctors to prescribe medications when they are not needed. Also, sometimes doctors are being asked to write for an antibiotic from the free list when they feel a different antibiotic would be more effective given the clinical presentation of the patient.

In my practice I encounter patients who believe they need an antibiotic to treat a cold. It is this perception the CDC is attempting to change. Any promotion that competes with the CDC’s efforts needs to be re-evaluated. Some of these companies have claimed they want to help people by giving away needed medications. Although well intentioned, the risks to the community probably outweigh the benefit to the few they may have helped. I believe choosing a different class of drugs to promote would provide more help to people without the possible negative outcomes. A good example of a different class of drugs which would provide real benefits is heart medications.

Here is a video explaining the development of antibacterial resistance

Learn more at the CDC website about antibacterial resistance.

Sign up for our free health newsletter loaded with useful health and pharmacy information.

Get discounts on your prescriptions with a free pharmacy discount card.