Say experts
Random use of antibiotics causes insensitivity and inefficiency of the drugs on different microorganisms that increase vulnerability of patients, experts told a workshop yesterday.
Quoting a study conducted by the University of Dhaka in collaboration with University of Nottingham, UK, speakers said frequent use of antibiotics makes different microorganisms resistant to those drugs and do not let human body to respond to those drugs.
It forces the patients to go for another antibiotic that actually increases duration to cure the disease, treatment cost and dissatisfaction among the patients, they added.
The study titled ”Antibiotic prescription pattern in district hospitals in Bangladesh” revealed that Azithromycin, one of the most commonly used antibiotics, has developed 40 percent resistance against gram-positive microorganisms. That is why it is not working against different infectious diseases properly.
Ciprofloxacin, the most commonly prescribed second-generation drug that worked effectively against E Coli and gram-negative microorganisms, has become resistant in 80 percent cases. So the patients now are depending on Levofloxacin, the third generation antibiotic to cure the infections, it revealed.
Amoxicillin and Ampicilin have also becomes resistant in this country which is still commonly prescribed in England, said Dr Sitesh C Bachar, co-investigator and professor of the department of Pharmaceutical Technology while disseminating the findings.
The study conducted from July to December 2009 at six district hospitals also revealed that one patient was providing with more than one antibiotic at those hospitals rationally or irrationally.
“We are left to genetically resistant drugs and after few years it would be difficult to treat the patients. Because no antibiotic would work then,” said Prof A K Azad Chowdhury of the department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology of Dhaka University and the principal investigator.
Prof Pran Gopal Datta, vice chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University as the chief guest drew the attention to the pharmacies as most of these pharmacies are selling antibiotics without the prescription of the doctors violating rules and regulations. Even the Directorate General of Drug Administration has turned a blind eye.
“The pharmacies have become grocery of the drugs,” said Prof ABM Farooque of the department of Pharmaceutical Technology and co-investigator of the research.
Dr Ismail Khan, dean of Medicine faculty of the University of Dhaka; Dr ABM Abdullah, dean of faculty of medicine of BSMMU; and Dr Taposh Roy, representative of Nottingham University; also spoke at the inaugural session of the workshop.
