The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 4 out of 5 Americans are prescribed antibiotics every year. No matter what the medicine, it’s important to arm yourself with knowledge so you can safely take antibiotics. You don’t want to just take something because somebody tells you to; You want to make sure that it is absolutely necessary.

Clinical Pharmacist Mike Miller, Pharm.D., with Peninsula Regional Medical Center, was a guest on DelmarvaLife to talk about antibiotic safety.  He says, remember, antibiotics treat bacteria, not viruses. Mike says, bottom line, when taking an antibiotic, it’s a good idea to do the following:

-talk to your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects

-let them know about other medications you might be taking

-if you haven’t gotten better in 48 hours, contact your doctor and let him/her know