You wake up with a sore throat and a fever. The doctor gives you a prescription for antibiotics. A few days later, you feel better, so you stop taking them.

Harmless? Not quite.

Stopping antibiotics early gives bacteria in our bodies the chance to adapt and resist the very medicines designed to get rid of them. And that is fueling one of the most serious public health threats of our time: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

With AMR, even common infections can become life-threatening. AMR is already responsible for millions of deaths globally each year. The good news is, there are simple, powerful ways we can help slow it down:

• Always finish the full course of antibiotics, even if you feel better.
• Never share antibiotics with others.
• Dispose of leftover medications properly—don’t flush them or throw them in the trash.
• Trust your doctor’s advice—don’t ask for antibiotics if you don’t need them.

From the Manufacturing Site to the Pharmacy Counter

We’re doing our part to address AMR by manufacturing our medicines responsibly, holding suppliers accountable and educating patients and healthcare professionals around the world.

In the last two years, Teva has earned two certifications from the British Standards Institution (BSI) for responsible antibiotic manufacturing. We’re monitoring our sites to prevent antibiotic residues from entering our environment—and we’re helping our suppliers do the same. Because when antibiotics linger in places like wastewater, they give bacteria the chance to adapt and become more resistant.

Reaching Patients Where They Are

To help improve how antibiotics are prescribed and used, we partner with Clarivate to conduct pilot programs, tailored to the local populations and healthcare systems.

Through our pilot in Germany, patients received short messages on pharmacy screens when they picked up their antibiotics, and more than 389,000 digital messages were sent to pharmacists to remind patients how to use antibiotics safely. The effort resonated: 77% of pharmacists said the materials helped them have meaningful conversations with patients about antibiotics.

In Kenya, our program engages physicians within their Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, reminding them about responsible prescribing practices in real time. Patients also receive SMS messages encouraging them to complete their treatment, in their local language. The program revealed that many patients still believe antibiotics can treat the common cold, while limited access to diagnostic tools can make accurate prescribing more difficult—both of which can increase the risk of AMR.

There’s still work to do, and everyone has a role to play. Let’s protect the healing power of antibiotics so they can continue to protect us.