It's important to remember to take antibiotic treatment on time and to follow your doctor's and pharmacist's instructions. Antibiotics don't work as well when they aren't taken on time. You may be prescribed from one to several doses per day. Because medicines stay in your system for a certain amount of time, you must take each dose according to the directions for the antibiotic. If you don't follow the instructions, the antibiotics may not work as well as they should and you may be adding to the problem of antibiotic resistance.