Why Finishing Your Antibiotics Is Crucial

Just because your symptoms stopped doesn’t mean you should stop taking the medication.

By Barrett White

Antibiotics are medications utilized to treat bacterial infections by either killing the bacteria or keeping it from reproducing. However, we contain numerous bacteria throughout our bodies and different bacteria are sensitive to different antibacterial drugs.

Antibiotics are a medicine used to treat or prevent infections caused by bacteria. Common examples include strep throat and urinary tract infections.

Antibiotics cannot kill viruses because bacteria and viruses are two separate things and have different ways of surviving and growing in our bodies. Antibiotics cannot attack a virus.

“Finishing all your antibiotics as prescribed by your healthcare provider is very important to ensure the bacteria that caused your infection or illness are completely wiped out,” says Katherine Wang, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. “If antibiotics are stopped before all the bacteria are killed, then even a tiny amount remaining can multiply again and cause the infection to come back. Also, the bacteria that grows back may develop resistance to the original antibiotic, which means it will no longer work for the infection.”

The more antimicrobial resistance develops, the fewer antibiotics there are available to treat an infection.  This makes them very difficult, and sometimes impossible to treat.  In the US, about 2.8 million infections are caused by antimicrobial resistant infections each year, which results in at least 35,000 deaths annually. “‘Antimicrobial Stewardship’ is the effort to improve antibiotic use and subsequently improve patient safety, outcomes, and reduce antibiotic resistance,” Wang says. “Everyone plays a role in preventing resistance, including the prescribers, the pharmacists, and the patients as well.  The best way you can do your part is by making sure you take your antibiotics appropriately and finish your course as directed by your healthcare provider.”

Occasionally, there are times where an antibiotic regimen must be changed by the prescriber for various reasons (a different bacteria is identified in the patient, the patient has an allergy or intolerance, etc.). Only stop an antibiotic if advised to do so by your healthcare provider.   If you are told to stop it and have some medication left over, then the prescription should be properly discarded – never share with others. Check out the FDA website for information on different options to dispose of unused medications, including how to safely discard them in your household trash.