Pharmacists Registrar warns against abuse of antibiotics

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria has warned against abuse of antibiotics, saying such abuse leads to treatment failure.
Elijah Mohammed, Registrar of the Council gave the warning in an in interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja in commemoration of the World Antibiotic Awareness Week scheduled for November 12 to 18.
He explained that due to the high cost of healthcare in the country, it was difficult for a lot of people to visit hospitals to access prescriptions, hence they device “cheaper means” of getting those drugs.
The registrar identified some antibiotics that are easily abused to include Ampicillin Preparations, Tetracycline, Metronidazole and other low cost drugs.
According to him, abuse of antibiotics makes health care services more expensive in the long run because it leads to high resistance.
He said: “By the time such patient is presented at the hospital to get prescription drugs to address certain health challenge, you discover that there is resistance, you now need to take a high and more improved medication that comes at a higher cost.
“Such medication or treatment attracts more cost for both the patient and the health system and also frustrates the professionals who are not getting the expected results due to resistance.
“Drugs especially antibiotics are poisons, the more you take it the more you give the body system work to do. Just like a normal situation, once the work load is too much, organs like Kidney where a lot of filtration takes place may pack up.
“When you overburden other organs where metabolisms of these antibiotics and related products take place there is a likelihood that they will pack up, hence we have a lot of kidney challenges and other organs of the body because of drug abuse.”
Mohammed attributed abuse of drugs to uncontrolled or unrestricted access, easy access as well as high cost of health care in the country.
The registrar, however, advised the populace to ensure that the use of drugs is supervised by health care workers.
Mohammed further urged them to visit the nearest hospital when faced with any health challenge to get prescription, listen and adhere to pharmacists’ instructions to avoid treatment failure or negative reaction.
According to the World Health Organisation, WAAK is commemorated annually from 12 to 18 to increase awareness of global antibiotic resistance.
It is also to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.
WHO noted that a global action plan to tackle the growing problem of resistance to antibiotics and other microbial medicines was endorsed at the 68 World Health Assembly in 2015.
It noted that one of the key objectives of the plan was to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education and training.