About this session
Antibiotics treat certain infections caused by bacteria. They do not treat viral infections such as colds or flu, and even some bacterial infections may improve without them.
Whether an antibiotic is appropriate depends on the likely cause of the illness, its severity, the person's health and the risk of complications, as NHS guidance on antibiotics notes.
Taking an antibiotic when it is unlikely to help can still cause side effects and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Resistance occurs when bacteria change in ways that allow them to survive medicines that previously worked against them, making some infections harder to treat, as World Health Organization guidance on antimicrobial resistance explains.
This session helps participants prepare better questions when they are unwell, understand what to expect when an antibiotic is or is not recommended and use prescribed treatment more confidently.
The emphasis is on informed conversations rather than demanding antibiotics, avoiding them at all costs or attempting to decide independently whether an infection is bacterial.
What your people take away
- Distinguish bacterial infections from viral illnesses at a broad, non-diagnostic level
- Ask clearer questions about whether an antibiotic is likely to help
- Follow medicine-specific instructions and respond appropriately to missed doses or side effects
- Avoid sharing, saving or reusing antibiotics from a previous illness
- Recognize when symptoms are worsening or require urgent medical assessment
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Make More Informed Decisions About AntibioticsA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Make More Informed Decisions About Antibiotics: ask what may be causing the infection, clarify whether an antibiotic is likely to help and leave with a recovery and follow-up plan.
- Ask what may be causing the infection
- Clarify whether an antibiotic is likely to help
- Leave with a recovery and follow-up plan
Covers 3 of 4 points in Make More Informed Decisions About Antibiotics.
60 minutes
The 60-minute session focuses on immediate practical application. Participants explore when antibiotics may or may not help, prepare useful questions for a healthcare professional and create a clear plan for following the advice they receive.
- Module 1: Make More Informed Decisions About Antibiotics
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 3 parts: Make More Informed Decisions About Antibiotics.
90 minutes
The 90-minute session adds deeper exploration of labels, dosing, missed doses, side effects, interactions and symptom monitoring. Participants build a practical routine for prescribed treatment and clarify what to do if recovery does not follow the expected pattern.
- Module 1: Make More Informed Decisions About Antibiotics
- Module 2: Use Antibiotics More Confidently and Safely
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 3 parts: Make More Informed Decisions About Antibiotics and Use Prescribed Antibiotics With Greater Confidence.
3 hours
Covers all 3 parts.
Full day
The full-day session combines practical medicine use with accessible education about resistance, prescribing decisions and infection prevention. Participants leave with clearer boundaries around self-care, professional follow-up and responsible antibiotic use.
- Module 1: Make More Informed Decisions About Antibiotics
- Module 2: Use Antibiotics More Confidently and Safely
- Module 3: Connect Individual Use With Antibiotic Resistance
- Live Q&A
Covers all 3 parts, in more depth, with more time to practice.
What’s covered
Make More Informed Decisions About Antibiotics
Every length- Ask what may be causing the infectionParticipants prepare questions about whether the illness is more likely to be bacterial, viral or still uncertain.
- Clarify whether an antibiotic is likely to helpParticipants ask what benefit an antibiotic is expected to provide, whether watchful waiting or symptom management is reasonable and what would change the decision.
- Leave with a recovery and follow-up planParticipants confirm how long symptoms may reasonably take to improve, what self-care measures may help and which changes should prompt another assessment.
- Avoid pressure in either directionParticipants explore why an antibiotic should neither be expected for every infection nor rejected automatically when a clinician believes it is needed.
Use Prescribed Antibiotics With Greater Confidence
90 minutes and longer- Check the exact instructionsParticipants record the antibiotic name, dose, frequency, duration and any instructions involving food, storage or spacing from other medicines.
- Plan for missed or delayed dosesParticipants locate the missed-dose instructions in the medicine information and identify where to obtain advice if they remain uncertain.
- Record benefit and possible side effectsParticipants monitor whether symptoms are improving and note effects such as nausea, diarrhea, stomach discomfort, rash or other changes.
- Keep the medicine personal to the prescriptionParticipants avoid sharing antibiotics, using another person's medicine or saving leftover tablets for an unrelated future illness.
Connect Antibiotic Use With Resistance and Wider Health
3 hours and longer- See why antibiotics do not work against virusesThe facilitator explains that antibiotics target bacteria and cannot treat viral illnesses.
- Recognize how resistance developsParticipants learn that antibiotic resistance involves bacteria becoming less responsive to treatment, not the body becoming resistant.
- Support recovery without an antibioticParticipants create a practical plan for rest, hydration, symptom relief and monitoring where a healthcare professional advises that antibiotics are not needed.
- Reduce the need for antibiotics where possibleParticipants connect appropriate vaccination, hand hygiene, food safety, wound care and infection-control practices with reducing avoidable infections and antibiotic use.
Who it’s for
- Employees who want clearer questions when they are unwell or prescribed antibiotics
- People unsure why an antibiotic was or was not recommended
- Anyone wanting to use prescribed antibiotics more confidently and safely
- Teams building health-literacy or antibiotic-stewardship campaigns
- Managers supporting informed healthcare conversations without giving medical advice
- Organizations offering practical medication education with appropriate clinical boundaries
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Antibiotics: When They Help and When They Do Not
How long is Antibiotics: When They Help and When They Do Not?
Antibiotics: When They Help and When They Do Not runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Make More Informed Decisions About Antibiotics: ask what may be causing the infection, clarify whether an antibiotic is likely to help and leave with a recovery and follow-up plan. A 60-minute session covers Make More Informed Decisions About Antibiotics in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Use Prescribed Antibiotics With Greater Confidence. A 3-hour session adds Connect Antibiotic Use With Resistance and Wider Health. A full-day session covers everything, in more depth, with more time to practice.
Can Antibiotics: When They Help and When They Do Not be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Antibiotics: When They Help and When They Do Not?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Antibiotics: When They Help and When They Do Not to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.