This presentation will be about the consequences of inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents and some of the alternative approaches to treating infectious diseases that are being investigated, like naturally occurring antimicrobials (such as honey and plant essential oils), probiotics (including faecal flora replacement therapy) and bacteriophage therapy. Despite the fact that these sorts of treatments are popular with patients, in many cases the science underpinning their use is poor or lacking. Because of the antimicrobial resistance crisis there is renewed interest in this area.