INAPPROPRIATE
USE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN INDIA
Contributed by Apoorva C. and Dr. A.J. Tamhankar
India
is considered one of the largest consumers of antibiotics. Data collected from private hospitals (tertiary care, secondary
care) and diagnostic laboratories shows that the overall consumption of
antibiotics in 2010 itself was 13 billion units with the average consumption
per person being 10.7 units. The sales of antibiotics are continuously
increasing in India. The consumption, therefore, must have increased much more
thereafter.
There
is a widespread misuse of antibiotics with about 80% of antibiotics being used
outside of hospital settings in India. Private sector supplies newer variety of
antibiotics in comparison to public sector. Inappropriate use of antibiotics
has been noted for self limiting diarrheal infections, cold and cough, and also
for infections not caused by bacteria such as malaria, influenza and dengue,
which do not need an antibiotic prescription at all.
Since there is a direct relationship of increased consumption
of antibiotics on increased development of antibiotic resistance, prudent use
of antibiotics is essential for controlling resistance development. It is
therefore an important duty of all of us to create awareness among general
public and also among health care providers –Doctors and Pharmacists- about
the detrimental effects of improper use of antibiotics. If large scale
resistance development takes place, Antibiotics will not give desired results,
Patients will not be cured of their diseases, injuries, post operation recovery from surgeries etc.
So Do Not Use
Antibiotics in self limiting diarrheal infections, allergic cold and cough, and
for infections not caused by bacteria such as malaria, influenza and dengue.
References:
1. Van
Boeckel TP, Gandra S, Ashok A, Caudron Q, Grenfell BT, Levin SA, et al. Global
antibiotic consumption 2000–2010: an analysis of national pharmaceutical sales
data. Lancet Infect Dis. 2014.
2. Kotwani A, Holloway K. Trends in
antibiotic use among outpatients in New Delhi, India. BMC Infect Dis 2011;
11: 99.