Ensuring safe use of antibiotics

Antibiotics play an effective role in curing diseases. It is a well-established fact that over half of hospitalised patients receive antibiotics. However, the unnecessary use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, leading to a rapidly growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health crisis. It is concerning to see overuse of antibiotics, sometimes inappropriately prescribed for viral illnesses where they have no effect. This misuse significantly contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making infections more challenging and costly to treat. These issues are primarily due to insufficient knowledge among healthcare professionals and the absence of strict guidelines for the safe use of antibiotics.
This is worrying that the use of antibiotics has increased by 31.93 per cent in Bangladesh. As a result, antimicrobial resistance is increasing alarmingly. It is known that in 2014, the use of antibiotics per thousand patients per day was 18.48 per cent, which rose to 52 per cent per thousand in 2021. Life-saving antibiotics should be used when they are really needed. Due to a lack of awareness, many people frequently consume antibiotics without prescription. Self-prescribed antibiotic is one of the main reasons for overuse of the essential drugs. Then there is over-the-counter sale of these drugs. Many unlicensed pharmacies also sell fake antibiotics. There are many people who stop taking antibiotics without completing the course. All these things make the antibiotics lose their effectiveness. If this trend continues, new organisms will become resistant and we may find ourselves without any effective treatment options. Healthcare authorities must ensure wise and sensible use of medications to prevent further proliferation of antibiotic resistance.
Ashikujaman Syed,
Foreign Service Officer,
Anhui Haikang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd,
Anqing, China,
syedashikujaman@yahoo.com