Hyderabad: Pharmacists hail DGHS orders, say onus on doctors

Hyderabad: Welcoming orders of the Directorate-General of Health Services (DGHS) that there should be a reason for prescribing antibiotics, pharmacists here say the onus will be on doctors to implement the orders. The DGHS MD Atul Goel has issued orders that if any patient is prescribed antibiotic or anti-microbial drugs, doctors should mention reasons and instructions on prescriptions as to why they are recommended. In a letter to pharmacist associations and medical colleges, Goel said the disorder of 'antimicrobial resistance' (AMR) was increasing worldwide due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics. He expressed concerns that this was one of the top 10 health problems facing humanity as 12.7 lakh people died due to AMR in 2019 and 49 lakh died due to drug-resistant infections. He said the ‘misuse’ and ‘uncontrolled’ use of antibiotics were main reasons for emergence of drug-resistant pathogens. ‘There is no effective treatment for infections they cause. As a result, patients suffer from infections for many days. The drugs (antibiotics) cost exorbitantly and are ruining health of patients. "They are losing lives due to long-term diseases," he stated. ‘Doctors are advised to use antibiotics judiciously. To this extent, before recommending antibiotics, the exact reasons should be mentioned in prescription.

The letter states that pharmacists should not sell antibiotics to anyone without a prescription from a qualified doctor. ‘If problem of AMR worsens in future, the next generation of doctors will have to deal with it; the letter has been sent to medical colleges. ‘Anti-microbial resistance is a silent epidemic. Due to this, there is a risk of death of more than one million people worldwide by 2050,' the WHO had previously warned. Former president of Telangana Pharmacy Council A Sanjay Reddy said the onus was on doctors; there is a need for creation of awareness among pharmacists to follow this advisory.