Pharmacists appealed to strictly implement schedule H and H1 of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules and stop over-the-counter sale of antibiotics and sell them only on the prescription of a qualified doctor.
The
Union Health Ministry has urged all doctors in medical colleges and medical
associations to make it a mandatory practice to mention indication, reason for
justification while prescribing.
Director General of
Health Services Dr Atul Goel has also appealed to all pharmacists to strictly
implement schedule H and H1 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules and stop
over-the-counter sale of antibiotics and sell them only on the prescription of
a qualified doctor.
Misuse and overuse of
antimicrobials are one of the main drivers in the development of drug-resistant
pathogens, Goel said in a letter dated January 1.
“With few new antibiotics
in the research and development pipeline, prudent antibiotic use is the only
option to delay the development of resistance,” he stated.
Antimicrobial resistance
(AMR) is one of the top global public health threats facing humanity, the
letter addressed to all doctors of medical colleges and to all medical
associations said.
It is estimated that
bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019
and 4,95 million deaths were associated with drug resistant infections.
AMR puts many of the
gains of modern medicine at risk.
It threatens the
effective prevention and treatment of infections caused by resistant microbes,
resulting in prolonged illness and greater risk of death. Treatment failures
also lead to longer periods of infectivity and the prohibitive high cost of the
second-line drugs may result in failure to treat these diseases in many
individuals.
“While the pharmacists
are being reminded to implement the schedule H and H1 of the Drugs and Cosmetic
Rules and sell antibiotics only on valid prescriptions, it is important that
doctors write the indication on the prescriptions while prescribing
antimicrobials,” the letter said.
“It is in urgent appeal
to all the doctors to make it a mandatory practice to write
indication/reason/Justification while prescribing antimicrobials. Looking
forward to your support the promote judicious use of antimicrobials to reduce
emergence of AMR,” it stated.
In the letter to all
pharmacist associations in India, Goel said under Drugs and Cosmetics Rules
1945, antibiotics are included in the list of drugs specified under Schedule H
which are required to be sold by retail on the prescription of a Registered
Medical Practitioner (RMP) only. Some high end antibiotics are included in list
of HI drugs.
“This is an urgent appeal
to all the pharmacists in the country to strictly implement schedule H and H1
of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules and stop over the counter sale of antibiotics
and sell them only on prescription of a qualified doctor,” the letter stated.
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