World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: Why These Drugs Are So Important

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week – At Red Bags, we’re dedicating an entire blog post this week to offer an understanding of why these drugs are so important. 

Each year, one week in November is dedicated to World Antimicrobial Awareness Week. This is a week to bring awareness around the importance of antimicrobial drugs, more specifically antibiotics, and their work to help the world battle against disease and death. 

Starting in 2015, the World Health Organization began promoting the importance of Antimicrobial/Antibiotic Awareness across the globe with a global action plan. 

This year, with a novel coronavirus becoming a global pandemic and no vaccine yet, this is an especially relevant topic to bring to light. Even though antibiotics cannot be used to fight against viral infections, they still play a critical role in the health of all across the globe. 

At Red Bags, we’re dedicating an entire blog post this week to offer an understanding of why these drugs are so important. 

What Are Antibiotics

Antibiotics are various types of medicines that are used to treat infections. They work by killing any germs from bacteria or parasites in the system to return to a normal state. As we stated previously, they will not kill viral infections like the flu, but they are still critical in treating people who can otherwise die from bacterial infections. 

Some of the most common antibiotics include: 

• Penicillin 
• Cephalosporins
• Tetracyclines 
• Aminoglycosides 

Why Antibiotics are So Important 

The thing to remember about antibiotics is that they should only be prescribed for more severe infections. Minor bacterias will get better on their own. By overusing antibiotics, the body gets used to the medicine, and what is called “antibiotic resistance” occurs. The bacteria become acclimated to the medication which mitigates its affects. 

According to the World Health Organization, there needs to be a worldwide understanding of the vital role antibiotics play in fighting disease and how to properly prescribe them to lessen antibiotic resistance from occurring. 

Tips for Antibiotics Medical Waste Disposal

If there are used or unused antibiotics in the home and labs, they should be handled as chemical waste and disposed of accordingly to remain in compliance with industry regulations.

The inappropriate disposal of pharmaceuticals means they’re more likely to end up in a landfill, in our water supply, and leading to toxicities for humans, animals, and marine life. The other layer of this is that the more this matter is in our drinking water and ecosystems, it can also lead us to higher antibiotic resistance levels over time. 

The recommended separation of this waste for disposal is critical. It’s equally as important also to choose a careful and responsible service provider who can help with the safe disposal of antibiotic waste and prevent damage to the environment or public health. 

Need Medical Waste Disposal services? Call Red Bags Today! 

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