Anti-infections

Prevention

What are Anti-infectives?

Anti-infectives are medicines that work to prevent or treat infections, they include antibacterials, antivirals, antifungals, and anti-parasitic medications.

Why are Anti-infectives so important?

Anti-infectives have revolutionized healthcare and are now critical in curing and even helping to prevent many kinds of infections. Thanks to anti-infectives, we can:

• Treat minor infections and most often cure many serious infectious diseases, like pneumonia or tuberculosis

• Perform routine procedures and complex surgery, such as cesarean sections or joint replacements, which carry a risk of serious infection

• Give vital immuno-suppressive treatments, like chemotherapy, to people with cancer

Alarmingly, many anti-infectives are losing their effectiveness due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Anti-infectives are medicines that work to prevent or treat infections, they include:

###

Antibacterials

Antivirals

Antifungals

Antiparasitic medications.

View our available products of Anti-infectives below.

Ways to Protect Yourself From Germs

• Wash Your Hands. Can’t say it enough! Hand Hygiene is the #1 way to prevent the spread of infection.

• Respiratory Hygiene/Cough etiquette. You should cover mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze with a tissue or in your elbow. If you did cover with your hand be sure to immediately wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or with an alcohol-based hand rub.

• Injection Safety. These are steps to ensure that one needle, one syringe are used only one time. Outbreaks of Hepatitis B and C have been associated with breaks in injection safety. Don’t hesitate to ask your provider if they understand injection safety and if the needle and syringe are only being used once!

• Sanitize Your Surroundings. Always be sure to follow manufacturer instructions regarding cleaning products. Every product has a time frame that determines how long the “surface” must be wet in order to properly clean the surface. Some home products such as Clorox wipes require 4 minutes or longer. Don’t forget to protect your hands from these products as well!

• ABC’s of Antibiotic. We should all ask the following questions of our healthcare provider when prescribed an antibiotic—Do I really need an antibiotic? Can I get better without this antibiotic? What side effects or drug interactions can I expect? What side effects should I report to you? How do you know what kind of infection I have as I understand antibiotics won’t work for viral infections?