Antibiotics should be dispensed only with doctor's prescription: Kerala health expert

Dr Rajeev Jayadevan Convener of the Research Cell of the Kerala State Indian Medical Association IMA and Chairman of the Scientific Committee IMA Cochin on Sunday warned that the misuse of antibiotics is fueling a global health crisis antimicrobial resistanceSpeaking with ANI Jayadevan a leading expert warned that antibiotics are losing their effectiveness against dangerous bacteria due to overuse making infections harder to treat He pointed out that the primary reason behind this growing problem is the overuse and inappropriate consumption of antibioticsAntimicrobial resistance is a serious problem affecting the entire world This is a situation in which antibiotics no longer work against dangerous bacteria The reason is the overuse of antibiotics Especially in India some individuals go directly to medical stores and buy antibiotics just like they would buy fruits and vegetables This is not acceptable in any developed country said JayadevanIn India the lack of regulation allows people to buy antibiotics over the counter unlike in developed countries where prescriptions are mandatory Jayadevan urged immediate action stop overthecounter sales and make a doctors prescription mandatoryAntibiotics should be dispensed only with a doctors prescription after evaluation of the patient If people start buying and using antibiotics on their own bacteria will become resistant to them Bacteria develop mechanisms to resist antibiotics So the antibiotics no longer work he saidThe consequences are dire prolonged illnesses increased healthcare costs and untreatable infections The solution lies in responsible antibiotic use and stricter regulationsTo reduce this problem the overuse of antibiotics has to be immediately stopped One way to do it is to stop allowing the sale of antibiotics without a doctors prescription This is the standard of care in all developed countries added JayadevanThis comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned against the misuse of antibiotics citing a recent Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR report that shows antibiotics are becoming ineffective against diseases like pneumonia and urinary tract infectionsHe emphasised that antibiotics should be used only under a doctors guidance as their overuse drives antimicrobial resistanceIn his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat on Sunday Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a strong warning regarding the indiscriminate use of antibiotics He emphasised that antimicrobial resistance AMR is becoming one of Indias most serious public health challengesCiting a report by the Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR the PM noted that antibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective against common infections like pneumonia and urinary tract infections UTIsPM Modi stressed that people often mistakenly believe taking a pill can cure all health issues but this mindset is making diseases more challenging to treat He urged citizens to avoid selfmedication and consult doctors before taking antibioticsHe cautioned against the belief that one pill can cure everything stating that taking antibiotics without proper medical guidance makes infections stronger and more challenging to treatHe urged citizens to strictly avoid selfmedication and follow a simple mantra Medicines require guidance and antibiotics require doctorsThe National Medical Commission NMC supports pm Modis stance advocating for responsible antibiotic use and stricter regulations to prevent overthecounter sales without prescriptionsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever