NACDS supports CDC during antibiotic resistance week

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in commemorating the recent Get Smart about Antibiotics Week.

The annual event is meant to raise awareness about antibiotic resistance and the importance of properly prescribing the drugs. The CDC is teaming up with public and private institutions in an effort to stop antibiotic resistance by informing patients and health care providers of the importance of prescribing antibiotics only when absolutely necessary and to prescribe the right type of antibiotics for the specific type of bacteria being battled.

The CDC said that nearly 23,000 people die every year because of antibiotic resistance. Overall, more than 2 million people are affected by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 

Get Smart about Antibiotics Week, which was held Nov. 16-22,  is an extension of the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship. Representatives from the NACDS joined more than 150 organizations at the forum, where the participants pledged to fight the spread of antibiotic resistance.