Indians Consuming More Antibiotics than Ever: Study

Bangalore: It is really a disturbing fact that antibiotics consumption in India has increased largely. Powerful class IV antibiotics Carbapenems are among the major antibiotics which are consumed largely by Indians. Carbapenems are usually considered the last resort medicines to treat serious infections caused by multi-drug resistant and gram-negative pathogens.

The Research conducted by the Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy, Washington DC reveals that the sale of carbapenems increased from 0.21 units per million in 2005 to 1.23 in 2010.The six fold increase of these medicines cause the serious threat of resistance to these drugs. The Centre finds from the audit data by IMS Health's Multinational Integrated Data Analysis System (MIDAS) that the size of the carbapenem retail market in India was $27.4 million in 2010.

The World Health Organization has warned that there will not be any cure for common infections in the future if the antibiotics are used largely. The world is fearfully looking at a post-antibiotic era. Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director General said that antibiotics were hailed as wonder drugs when they were introduced for the first time in 1940’s. He further said “Widespread infections that killed millions could be cured. Major diseases, like syphilis, gonorrhoea, leprosy and tuberculosis lost much of their sting. However today, the message is clear, the world is on the brink of losing these miracle cures," as reported by Kounteya Sinha for TOI.

Health ministry had plans in the past to reduce the availability and control the sale but the plans were failed due to improper implementation. Health ministry made decision that a “broader consensus was required.” It was few days before drug controller general of India was to notify Schedule H1, but the decision was out of action.  Around 90 antibiotics were listed in the new schedule by the government and a responsible action would have restricted the usage and the sale of these medicines to a large extent.