Many patients don’t finish every pill when prescribed an antibiotic, even though the physician, dentist and medication label warns them to do so. They start to feel better, stop therapy and might even save their leftover pills.
As many as 82 percent of people prescribed antibiotics report not completing the entire course.
But what if you develop a new infection? If you have old antibiotics at home, can you skip that visit to the doctor’s office and take leftover meds?
The answer is no.
Antibiotic regimens are carefully selected based on multiple criteria — the most important is which bacteria they cover. An antibiotic left over from strep throat is unlikely to be the best antibiotic for treating a urinary tract infection. Antibiotics also are specifically selected for where they work in the body. For example, you cannot use Azithromycin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic for respiratory tract infections, to treat a UTI, as it does not reach the urinary tract.
Other criteria your provider considers for the safest regimen are allergies, potential side effects, drug interactions with other medications and kidney function, depending on the agent chosen.
Antibiotic use is changing because of the emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms. We now are recognizing the dangers of over-prescribing antibiotics.
If you think you have a bacterial infection, your physician, or dentist should evaluate you to determine if you need antibiotic treatment. Always complete your entire course of antibiotics unless directed otherwise by your physician, or your dental team.
references:
Grand Rapids Press
Mercy Health Saint Mary’s
By Lisa Dumkow and Kasey Bucher
