Antibiotics. They’re amazing, but they don’t work on viral infections like the cold and flu.
YET, half of all urgent care patients request an antibiotic to treat their cold and flu symptoms.
This overuse leads to antibiotic resistance, which kills 35,000 Americans every year.
As a brand that clears the way for powerful comebacks, Mucinex® knows antibiotics are critical to public health, so we’re taking a stand to end antibiotic overuse and resistance to protect their future effectiveness and safeguard every kind of comeback.
That means the germs are not killed and continue to grow making resistant infections difficult, and sometimes impossible to treat.
It’s a massive problem and a huge threat to modern medicine and our ability to fight infectious diseases effectively worldwide.
The Silent Threat We Need to Tackle
Every year, more than 2.8 million AMR infections occur in the United States and 35,000 Americans die as a result.
We’ve got to take action now, because if antibiotic resistance continues…*
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More people can contract bacteria that have built an immunity to antibiotics which make them ineffective
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Many post-surgical infections could become more difficult if not impossible to treat*
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Minor injuries could become life threatening
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By 2050, an extra 10 million deaths worldwide from antibiotic resistance – more than currently die from cancer**
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Treatments for chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis may stop working*
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Source: *Quote from William Hanage, Co-Director, Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (USA Today article); **United Nations Feb 2023 Bracing for Superbugs report - https://www.unep.org/resources/superbugs/environmental-action.
The Faces of AMR
Antibiotic resistance affects those around us more often than we realize.
Dive into these stories of real people living with it to understand their experiences.
Morgan’s Story
Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 7, Morgan Barrett relied on antibiotics to treat chronic lung infections for 20 years until she began modulate therapy.
Ella’s Story
Ella Balasa has cystic fibrosis, a rare genetic lung disease characterized by frequent lung infections. She spends weeks in the hospital ever year receiving antibiotics for the infections, but they are beginning to lose their potency.
Reckitt efforts
Over the past 10 years, our parent company, Reckitt has been committed to stopping antibiotic resistance:
How Mucinex® is Helping
Antibiotics don’t treat viral infections like cold & flu and this inappropriate use is contributing to the problem of antibiotic resistance.
Unlike antibiotics, over-the-counter (OTC) medications like Mucinex® can actually relieve some of your most severe cold and flu symptoms.
We’re dedicated to raising awareness on the issue of antibiotic resistance and working with Health Care Professionals to educate patients so antibiotics aren’t requested to treat cold and flu symptoms.
Flip the script on antibiotic overuse and find the right Mucinex® product to relieve your cold and flu symptoms*.
*Always consult your doctor to determine the right treatment