Shivani Patel pledged to become an Antibiotic Guardian and won £100 amazon vouchers in the competition prize draw

Last November to promote World Antibiotic Awareness Week the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial resistance held Antibiotic Amnesty stands across two of Imperial College’s campuses for a third consecutive year. Over 300 people from the College community signed up to become antibiotic guardians during the course of World Antibiotic Awareness week.

This year we received a range of antibiotics including phenoxylmethyl-penicillin, tetralysal lymecycline, clarithromycin and erythromycin that were surrendered by colleagues at the College. The initiative was also held at Lloyd's Pharmacy across Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which saw the following range of antibiotics handed in by the Trust community - amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, co-amoxiclav, phenoymetylpenicillin, pyrazinamide and rifampicin. The joint initiative resulted in the collection of 290 tablets and capsules of antibiotics.

Everyone who pledged to become an Antibiotic Guardian entered into a competition draw for a chance to win £100 Amazon vouchers. Imperial Microbiology undergraduate, Shivani Patel’s  name was picked out of the box by Professors Alan Johnson and Neil Woodford both from Public Health England.

Shivani Patel spoke about why she signed up to become an Antibiotic Guardian - 'Studying microbiology during my undergraduate degree taught me about the mechanisms employed by bacteria to become resistant to certain antibiotics. It was interesting, yet concerning, to learn about the way these microorganisms circumvent pathways of antibiotics, and thus made me better appreciate the consequences of antibiotic resistance on society.'