Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotics Overuse and Resistance

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Antibiotic overuse is when antibiotics are used when they're not needed. Antibiotics are one of the great advances in medicine. But overprescribing them has led to resistant bacteria (bacteria that are harder to treat). Some germs that were once very responsive to antibiotics have become more and more resistant. Antibiotic overuse is a key driver of antimicrobial resistance. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of these medicines. Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process. Antibiotic resistance leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and increased mortality.