Why Shouldn't You Share Antibiotics?

It's generally a bad idea to share prescription medications, but sharing antibiotics is particularly hazardous. Learn why in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/medication/sharing-leftover-antibiotics-is-really-bad-practice.htm

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey, brain Stuff,
Lauren Vogelbaum. Here, it's one of those things you kind
of know you're not supposed to do, but might be
tempted to do in a pinch. After all, those prescription
labels are probably just suggestions, right, Yeah, No, taking someone

(00:23):
else's medications is pretty much always a terrible idea, But
some research indicates that parents may be perpetuating the problem
more than experts realized. Presented at the American Academy of
Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in November, the research suggests
a quote alarming percentage of parents have reported sharing or

(00:44):
borrowing antibiotics that were originally prescribed for their children. The practice,
called antibiotic diversion, can lead to serious issues, since taking
unnecessary or improper doses of antibiotics contributes to the rising
rates of anti biotic resistant infections. For the article this
episode is based on How Stuff Works, spoke via email

(01:06):
with lead author to mar Kahan, whose name I hope
I just said correctly, who was then a research assistant
in Developmental and Behavioral pediatrics at Northwell Health. She said,
our study was prompted by several patient visits observed in
our office where parents mentioned that their children had experienced
illnesses or infections in recent months that they had resolved
by taking leftover antibiotics they had on hand in their

(01:29):
homes or receiving leftover antibiotics from individuals outside the family.
These parents did not consult a medical professional before taking
the leftover antibiotics. We wanted to conduct a more systematic
analysis to determine the prevalence of this practice antibiotic diversion
among parents and children in the United States. Antibiotics are

(01:50):
intended to fight infections caused by disease causing bacteria, which
are a broad category of single celled organisms found inside
and outside our bodies. The drugs work by either killing
the bacteria or making it harder for them to multiply.
The problem is bacteria are unfortunately adaptive. When antibiotics are

(02:11):
used incorrectly, that is, when they're not needed or when
you stop using them too soon, some bacteria in a
population survive and pass along the genes that made them
stronger to the next generations. In this way, bacteria may
become resistant to antibiotics, meaning the drugs no longer effectively
fight them or keep them from multiplying. For the study,

(02:34):
researchers distributed an anonymous online questionnaire to a national sample
of four ninety six parents. Con said, we found that
antibiotic diversion was highly prevalent. Forty eight point two percent
of parents who had left over antibiotics after the antibiotics
were taken by their children report saving them instead of
disposing of them. Seventy two point six of those who

(02:57):
had left over antibiotics later shared them with other members
of the family or unrelated adults. According to Kahan questionnaire,
respondents indicated that they had not been told by their
pediatricians to dispose of the antibiotics, even if there were
leftovers at the end of the course. There were some
other key findings from the study. To Liquids and drops

(03:19):
were found to be the most commonly diverted form of antibiotics.
Creams came in third, and tablets fourth. The diverted antibiotics
were typically administered in the prescribed dosage, which might sound
like a good thing but actually means the dosage usually
wasn't properly adjusted for the recipient. Otherwise, parents were also

(03:39):
prone to estimating dosage based on the age of the child.
Also not a great strategy. Considering the amount of guesswork
involved and overall sent of parents surveyed so that they
had given their child adult medications. The researchers behind the
study see a silver lining to these unsettling fine things.

(04:00):
Kahan said. Over use of antibiotics has consequences not only
to the individual, but to the population as a whole,
as it contributes to the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
It is hoped that health care professionals will emphasize to
patients the risks of taking antibiotics when they are not
prescribed and the importance of disposing of leftover medication. So

(04:22):
bottom line, sharing maybe caring, but definitely not when it
comes to prescription drugs. Today's episode is based on the
article sharing leftover antibiotics is a really bad practice on
how stuff works dot com, written by Michelle Konstantinovski. Brain
Stuff is production by Heart Radio in partnership with how

(04:44):
stuff works dot Com, and it is produced by Tyler Klang.
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