Microbiologists say rampant misuse of antibiotics in absence of regulatory law to blame for bugs developing resistance to drug
Microbiologists say rampant misuse of antibiotics in absence of regulatory law to blame for bugs developing resistance to drugs
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Drug control: The national policy on drugs is expected to bar the sale
of high-level antibiotics in pharmacies, making these available only in
hospitals. Representation pic
In April 2008, the Health Ministry first announced that a comprehensive drug policy would soon be introduced that would define the use of antibiotics. Following that, many promises were made, the last being in February this year, when the Health Ministry announced that the draft was ready and the policy would follow soon.
According to the ministry, the policy will create a new schedule HX under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act that currently governs the sale of antibiotics.
These drugs would come with a warning that their use could lead to severe complications unless taken on medical advice. Besides this, the policy will make many drugs available only with a prescription, while allowing the sale of high-level antibiotics only in hospitals, not pharmacies. But microbiologists who conduct research on antibiotic resistance complain that right now, in the absence of a drug policy, they are literally groping in the dark.
"There is no doubt that we need a national level drug policy or else there will be complete chaos. Currently, major hospitals follow an internal drug control policy, which we circulate among our consultants. It aims at lowering the usage of antibiotics, which in turn will lessen the chances of the creation of superbugs. But while the major hospitals do so, there is no compulsion on smaller hospitals for any such thing," said Dr Vikram Padbidri, microbiologist at Jehangir Hospital.
He said that when patients go to smaller hospitals or even clinics, they are started on high level of antibiotics, and later when the case worsens and they come to big hospitals, it becomes difficult to treat them. Dr Nita Munshi, microbiologist at Ruby Hall Clinic, agreed, stating the drug policy should be brought into force to provide standardisation of guidelines on usage of antibiotics and also controlling drug dispensing at pharmacies. "Currently, even if people have common cold, they are prescribed antibiotics by family physicians.
What we need is a policy that clearly spells out step-by-step treatment and forbids prescription of high level of drugs if not required. Also, the new drug policy will require pharmacies and doctors to keep two copies of prescription, which will show if there is over-abuse of drugs happening anywhere," she said.
When contacted to comment on the delay in introducing the policy, state health secretary Milind Mhaiskar said he had no clue what was causing the delay. "It is a central policy and states have no say in the matter. Even we are waiting for the policy and can only say that we will implement it stringently when it comes," he said.
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