DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Many people get sick in the winter, and now health officials want to remind everyone to take and finish their medicine.

They said many people are guilty of stopping their dose of antibiotics once they start feeling better. 

WAND News spoke with pharmacist and owner of Colee's Corner Drugs, Dale Colee. He said stopping an antibiotic dose early is a bad idea.

"If they say to take it for 10 days, take it for the full 10 days. If you don't do that, the potential for another infection to come back that's resistant to that antibiotic could happen," he explained.

He added it's important to not skip doses of antibiotics. That can also make their treatment less effective. He urges people to make up their missed dose as soon as possible.

An upset stomach is also a common occurrence for those taking antibiotics. Colee said to read a medication's label to see about when should be eaten. Some antibiotics have patients take the medicine on an empty stomach, followed by food. He said starting a probiotic while prescribed an antibiotic can be helpful.

"What the antibiotics do is they kill everything, they kill the good, as well as the bad bacteria," Colee explained. "If you're gonna be on an antibiotic of any kind for more than three to five days, you definitely want to get on a probiotic so it will put the normal flora back in your stomach, and you won't be having upset stomachs because of the antibiotics that you're taking."

To learn more about proper antibiotic practices, click here.