Introduction and objective:
Obtaining the effectiveness of antibiotics is the result of actions by many people, both the person who orders their use, and the one whom an antibiotic is to help. Adequate application of an antibiotic is the precondition for suppressing the development of antibiotic resistance of bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of antibiotic action. The objective of the presented study was to become familiar with the state of adherence of recommendations related with the use of an antibiotic by school adolescents, university students, and population aged over 26.

Material and Methods:
The study was conducted by the method of a diagnostic survey using a questionnaire form designed by the author, and covered 300 inhabitants of Lublin.

Results:
Within the last 12 months, nearly 41% of respondents aged over 26, 33% university students, and 25% school adolescents, used antibiotics prescribed by a physician. An unfavourable phenomenon was observed of self-treatment with antibiotics obtained by the respondents from acquaintances, or those left over from the last medication (21% of the total number of respondents). Only 17% of school adolescents, 18% of students, and 35% of individuals aged over 26 examined declared that they had never stopped taking antibiotics early. Flu is a pathological state in which the respondents apply medication with an antibiotic. Large deficits of knowledge were noted both among younger and older participants of the study.

Conclusions:
1. Frequency of using antibiotic therapy by the population group in the study did not differ from the frequency of its use in Poland. 2. In the examined population of patients many anti-health behaviours were observed during the use of antibiotic therapy.