TOI 14th May carried a news item on cover page
"There has been a six-fold increase in the number of antibiotics being popped by Indians. This includes the retail sale of Carbapenems — powerful Class IV antibiotics, typically used as a “last resort” to treat serious infections caused by multi-drug resistant, gram-negative pathogens"
The situation is much more serious than what is reported...
- Medicines, including high ended antibiotics are available without prescriptions
- Medicines, including antibitics, are available in units ( 1 o or mroe tablets, with no thought to full course)
- People love to take drugs without a doctors advise just because it helped someone else and they benefitted.
- Doctors of non allopathic stream can prescribe any drug!
We need a tough law that CONTROL misuse of antibiotics. Only beneficiary is the pharma industry who is laughing to the ringing of the cash pouring in.
I will share here one instance where we had a good legislation: about a decade ago a new anti malaria drug ARTESUNATE was launched, which was for choloroquin resitant Falciparum Malaria. Initially this drug was NOT available at chemists but only for hospitals to ensure USE-ONLY-WHEN-INDICATED.
Very soon pharma industry ensured that it is available at all chemists and today when Chloroquin is the indicated drug (by Indian Government as well as WHO) for Vivax type of malaria and uncomplicated falciparum malaria; most of the non MBBS doctors use 2nd line drugs and never think of Choloroquin aiding resistant to the newer drug as well.
The least Indian Litterati can do is STOP self medication and do NOT stop a recommended antibiotic course midway.
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