Health professionals are shining a light on antibiotic resistance—an issue so prevalent, some are comparing it to the opioid epidemic.
At least 2 million people are infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria every year, and of those roughly 23,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Scott Micek of the St. Louis College of Pharmacy says most of those deaths happen in the hospital.
“Generally those patients are seen, but they’ve got their first antibiotic or the second antibiotic,” he says. “It doesn’t work. By the time they get to the third antibiotic, it could be too late.”
Micek says knowing your prescription history, even for just a couple of months, is one of the best ways to keep yourself safe.
“If you’ve taken it and you go in for similar symptoms, what you’ve taken is important. Say you get treated with the same antibiotic—that often can lead to resistance of that antibiotic.”
Illinois lawmakers are also recognizing the problem. Legislation has been filed to create a taskforce for proper drug disposal designed to help with antibiotic resistance, as well.