Tuesday, 11 November 2025

Antibiotic Amnesty

What is amnesty?

Tackling antimicrobial resistance through safe disposal

Antibiotic amnesty is the safe disposal of leftover antibiotics, to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This prevents hoarding, inappropriate reuse or disposing of them via domestic waste streams. Contaminating the environment and water courses with antibiotic residues can spread resistance genes among bacteria, putting our health at risk.

Not many people realise that leftover antibiotics can be returned to pharmacies for safe disposal. Our amnesty campaign aims to tackle that by supporting you to run local amnesty campaigns to raise awareness of this simple action that can help tackle AMR.