Publish date: 18 November 2025
A pharmacist at Leighton Hospital is encouraging people to make a pledge to help keep antibiotics working for generations to come.
Andrew Seabury issued the call to action during World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, which runs from 18 to 24 November.
He urged patients to visit antibioticguardian.com and promise to do their bit to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.
On the website, created by the UK Health Security Agency, more than 214,000 people have already signed up to be an ‘antibiotic guardian’. As part of this, they choose from pledges including:
- For infections like coughs, colds, sore throats and flu, which our bodies are good at fighting off on their own, I pledge to try treating the symptoms.
- For these conditions, I pledge to talk to my pharmacist about how to treat the symptoms first rather than going to the GP.
- If I’m prescribed antibiotics, I will take them exactly as prescribed, complete the course prescribed, and never save them for later or share them with others.
- I will always take any unused antibiotics to my pharmacy for safe disposal.
- I pledge to consider any vaccines offered to me by the NHS and ensure my vaccine record is up to date.
- I will ask my healthcare professional about the risks and benefits of taking the antibiotics.
Antimicrobial Resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines. This means antibiotics and other antimicrobial treatments become less effective - or stop working altogether - making infections harder or even impossible to treat.
World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week is a global campaign that promotes joint actions by leaders and communities to highlight the importance of using these products correctly. This year’s theme is ‘Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future’.
Andrew, an Antimicrobial Pharmacist at Mid Cheshire Hospitals, said: “To slow resistance to antibiotics, we all need to help to cut unnecessary antibiotic use and stop treatment when it’s no longer needed.
"One of the most important pledges patients can make is to ensure they take antibiotics as prescribed, never save them for later or share them with others.
“Another really important message is that antibiotics don’t work on infections caused by viruses. Common colds and most coughs or sore throats get better without antibiotics. For many minor illnesses, you can speak to your local pharmacist who can provide advice on over-the-counter medicines and safe self-care at home.
“Every pledge counts. By becoming an antibiotic guardian, you’re helping protect these life-saving medicines for future generations. Together, we can act now to secure our future.”
For more information on World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, visit the World Health Organisation’s page at https://
