"Do Bugs Need Drugs?" A community education program for the wise use of antibiotics

"Do Bugs Need Drugs?" is a community and professional education program designed to address antibiotic resistance by decreasing the inappropriate use of antibiotics. Resources have been developed for physicians, pharmacists, nurses and the public, including children, their parents and caregivers, teachers, employers and workers, and long-term care facilities. There are four key strategies: consistent messaging (e.g., handwashing is the best way to stop the spread of infections); networking (through dedicated committee members who have engaged government ministries, professional organizations, health care organizations, academia, industry and businesses, and community groups); aligning interests (e.g., engaging nursing and medical students to deliver a program on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to Grade 2 students as part of their community health curriculum); and containing costs (e.g., partnering with other organizations for distribution of materials and sharing administrative and printing costs between the Do Bugs Need Drugs programs in Alberta and British Columbia). There is evidence now of an increased willingness in the scientific and medical community to discuss the risks associated with antibiotic use and of growing public awareness that AMR is linked to misuse and overuse of antibiotics.