Scientists warn of catastrophic consequences if resistance to antibiotics situation is not immediately addressed at national level.
They warn that the Bangladeshi population, many of who are already at risk, may face multiple drug resistance and hence treatment opportunities for simple infection may fail in the near future.
Recent research by globally renowned health research centre - icddr, b found that there are deadly risks from excess and unnecessary use of antibiotics leading to widespread drug resistance.
It is widely known that antibiotics neither kill viruses, nor cure virus-induced infections. Moreover, when such infections are mistakenly treated by antibiotics, many bacteria become resistant to these lifesaving drugs and often turn to deadly incurable sickness.
In view of the alarming situation the High Court on last April 25 directed the government to take necessary steps to stop the sale of antibiotics without prescription from registered doctors.
The court ordered the director general (DG) of the Directorate of Drug Administration to issue a circular to this effect in two days after receiving the order. The directives came following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Sayedul Haque Suman seeking necessary order on the issue.
One of the leading researchers, Dr Munirul Alam, Senior Scientist, Emerging Infections, Infectious Diseases Division of icddr,b told Bangladesh Post, "In our study we have noticed increasing resistance to antibiotics due to unnecessary or overdose of antibiotics. This may have catastrophic consequences in near future if we do not prevent such practice."
Dr Alam expressing grave concerns said, "Immediate measures should be taken to stop sale of antibiotics over the counter without proper prescription. In fact, the situation indeed calls for formulating a separate law to regulate purchase of the antibiotics."
The availability of antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription is a serious concern for poor country like Bangladesh where pharmacies readily sell antibiotics for the sake of making quick profit.
Alam explained that everyone is vulnerable to such 'superbugs' attacks and if such practice is allowed to continue it would be difficult to treat those infected by such superbugs in the nearfuture.
What is even more alarming is the fact that 85 percent of Bangladeshi patients experiencing acute respiratory infection or ARI were reported to have antibiotics prescribed by physicians, although nearly 80 percent of these infections are caused by viruses.
Dr Wasif Ali Khan, a scientist of Enteric and Respiratory Infections of Infectious Diseases Divisionof icddr,b while sharing his views on the issue with Bangladesh Post said, “Unfortunately general population has virtually no idea what is going to happen in few years time when all antibiotic will lose their efficacy against the superbug.”
“On the other hand,” Khan continued, “People who are aware like physician and pharmacists do understand but everyone has their own priority or business interest. As a result misuse of antibiotic is rampant in Bangladesh even for slight fever, cough and diarrhoea routine antibiotics are prescribed.”
Separate studies done in Bangladesh showed 66 percent children were exposed to antibiotics more than the adults (44 percent).The study said that cephalosporin were most frequently prescribed - about 30 percent. In another similar study it showed 69 percent of the prescriptions contained antibiotics. Azithromycin and cefixime were most commonly preferred by physicians.
Dr Khan said, “If this trend of antibiotic prescription and consumption continues very soon we will have no effective antibiotic available in hand. Medical sciences is advancing in Bangladesh for instance – bone marrow transplant, kidney transplant and other major complicated surgeries are successfully done.All of them need a backup of an effective antibiotic. Once we would have no such available antibiotic armaments in hand and all those surgeries may end inpost-operative infection, more morbidity and mortality.”
The increasing situation of drug resistance will lead to enhancing cost of treatment many folds which will be out of reach for general mass population. The community will adversely be affected because antibiotics would lose efficacy even in treating minor injuriesthat result in infection and gangrene.
Dr Khan said, “We may have to go back to pre-antibiotic era when people died from simple infections in the 1940’s.”
On formulating separate laws to check such practice, Dr Khan said, “Yes a stringent law need to be applied to stop such widely used prescription of antibiotics without consulting physicians. However, we have to remember even where laws exists mandating prescription for antibiotics, they are often not enforced and disregarded by both formal and informal suppliers.”
Experts also said that antibiotic resistance is also growing in cattle and fish where huge amount of the drugs are used to cure illness of the aquatic life and cattle.