News Release
| Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2003 |
|
HHS, PUBLIC HEALTH PARTNERS UNVEIL NEW CAMPAIGN
TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF PROPER ANTIBIOTIC USE
The Department of Health and Human Services and a consortium
of national health organizations today urged consumers to be
cautious about their use of antibiotics as the cold and flu
season approaches. Officials stressed that antibiotics are
ineffective treatment for viruses, such as those that cause
colds and flu, and that inappropriate antibiotic use --
particularly among children -- is contributing to an alarming
growth of global antibiotic resistance.
"Antibiotics show amazing results when used to treat
bacterial infections, but they won't help at all against the
common cold or flu," Surgeon General Richard Carmona said.
"What's worse, if people take antibiotics when they don't need
them, it can make these important drugs less effective in the
future. This is part of health literacy and closing the gap
between what health care professionals know and what Americans
understand."
The message is part of a new national campaign unveiled by
HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) and major national health
organizations in Chicago today.
"Antibiotics are powerful drugs. In fact, sometimes we
imagine they are wonder drugs that can treat any infections,"
said CDC Director Julie Gerberding, M.D. "But the truth is
antibiotics only work against bacteria, not the viruses that
cause colds and flu," she added. "It's so important to get smart
about antibiotic use and work with your doctor to get the right
remedy during this cold and flu season."
Antibiotic resistance can cause significant danger and
suffering for children and adults who have common infections
that were once easily treatable with antibiotics. Over the last
decade, almost every type of bacteria has become stronger and
less responsive to antibiotic treatment when it is really
needed. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria can quickly spread
to family members, school mates, and co-workers -- threatening
the community with a new strain of infectious disease that is
more difficult to cure and more expensive to treat.
CDC, FDA, and an alliance of partners including national
health organizations, state and local health departments,
managed care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and other
groups concerned about this problem, hope to reverse the public
perception that 'antibiotics cure everything' by unveiling a
public health campaign, Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work,
today at the American Society of Microbiology's 43rd
Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and
Chemotherapy. The campaign relies on featuring a series of
television, radio and print public service announcements and
comprehensive national, state and local outreach. The campaign
aims to better inform Americans about when antibiotic treatment
is warranted.
"We are pleased to be partnering with CDC on this very
important health message. By joining our efforts with those at
the state level and private sector we hope that more people will
begin to understand the importance of prudent antibiotic use.
This campaign will help ensure that antibiotics continue to save
lives," FDA Commissioner Dr. Mark B. McClellan said.
According to the CDC, tens of millions of the antibiotics are
prescribed in doctors' offices for viral infections that are not
treatable with antibiotics. Doctors cite diagnostic uncertainty,
time pressure, and patient demand as the primary reasons for
their tendency to over-prescribe antibiotics.
"Our first step toward correcting the problem is to build
public knowledge and awareness of when antibiotics work -- and
when they don't," said Richard Besser, M.D., CDC's medical
director of the campaign. "We want Americans to keep their
families and communities healthy by getting smart about the
proper use of antibiotics."
The campaign is being supported by many public health groups,
including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American
Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians
and the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics and Council
for Affordable Quality Healthcare.
More information about this campaign and antibiotic
resistance is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/.
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Last Revised: September 17, 2003 |
