An average of 250 people in Jersey are prescribed antibiotics every day – and officials are warning that the high rate could create deadly resistance to the drugs.
It has been reported nationally that if action is not taken now, annual worldwide deaths from antibiotic resistance could reach ten million by 2050, overtaking deaths caused by diabetes and cancer combined.
And the Health Department says that Hospital specialists in Jersey are already seeing the impact of such resistance, with some patients needing more specialised treatment because of incorrect or overuse of the drugs.
The department has now issued a three-point plan urging people:
Not to demand antibiotics from their GP.
To take antibiotics exactly as prescribed and never save them for use in the future.
To spread the word and tell their friends about how to use the drugs properly.
Full story in Friday’s JEP.
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