Improper use of antibiotics may lead to evolution of infectious superbugs
It’s a fact: the use of antibiotics is often abused by many.
Dr. Rontgene M. Solante, president of the Philippine Society of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID), even cited a study that showed that in the Philippines 66 percent of antibiotics were sold without a prescription.
While some would take this fact lightly, doctors and medical experts, however, warned that antibiotics—which are originally meant to fight and treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms—can actually cause more harm than good to an individual, if taken without proper medical consultation.
During the recently concluded 33rd annual convention of the PSMID, doctors and medical experts said that the improper use of antibiotics may even lead to the evolution of the so-called “infectious superbugs.”
This convention, which was supported by Watsons Pharmacy and pharmaceutical firm Unilab, allowed medical experts to discuss the threat of superbugs in the country and of how its spread could be prevented.
Superbugs are described by experts as antibiotic-resistant bacteria that pose a deadly threat to humanity and are now evolving to become a global threat. These superbugs, according to previous reports, comprise a bacterium containing an enzyme gene called New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) that makes it impervious to treatment by almost all antibiotics.
No. 1 cause
“Improper use of antibiotics is the No. 1 cause of superbugs’ emergence,” Solante said.
“If we keep using antibiotics improperly, the day may come when our antibiotics no longer work against bacterial infections-we will have an infectious disease apocalypse that will endanger the human race,” Solante added.
Unfortunately in the Philippines, inappropriate and improper use of antibiotics has long been a major problem.
According to Solante, there are four common practices of antibiotic misuse in the Philippines that promote the emergence of superbugs.
• Self-medication. This happens when a patient buys antibiotics on his or her own without prior consultation with a doctor. Some of these patients borrow a used prescription, or follow the advice of relatives and friends in buying antibiotics.
• Skipping a dose of antibiotic. Patients who miss a dose or several doses of antibiotic are allowing bacteria to recover from, and develop a resistance, to the antibiotic’s effects. There’s also a risk of infection resurgence.
• Some patients don’t finish the prescribed treatment course of the antibiotics prescribed to them. They stop taking the antibiotics once they feel better. Others are unable to buy all the antibiotics prescribed because they don’t have enough money.
• Using antibiotics like over-the-counter drugs. Antibiotics are powerful medications that must be used only under a doctor’s supervision. Unfortunately, some patients mistakenly believe that antibiotics are used to relieve symptoms like fever, body pain, coughs and colds.
“These practices, when done often enough, lead to the emergence of superbugs. In the Philippines, there are already two types of bacteria—one that causes gonorrhea and another that causes tuberculosis—that are already antibiotic-resistant,” he said.
As such, Solante lauded efforts of both Unilab and Watsons by coming up with antibiotics Compliance Packs. He also mentioned that this Compliance Packs would help doctors, researchers and the Department of Health in preventing superbug emergence in the country.
Helps ensure use
The Compliance Packs from Watsons Pharmacy and Unilab aims to help ensure the proper use of antibiotics because they are prepackaged following the most common doses prescribed by doctors; they are priced lower than multinational brands; and their packaging is safe and designed to encourage the right use of antibiotics.
“Antibiotics in pill form are stored individually in blister packs for a reason: the patient has to take them one by one, according to schedule. Other sellers package their antibiotics with a resealable pouch design where the pills are bunched together inside. This type of packaging for medicine is flawed, in our opinion. It’s okay to package candy in this way but not antibiotics,” added Belinda E. Pesayco, senior regulatory affairs manager of Watsons Personal Care Stores (Phils.) Inc.
Watsons Compliance Packs are packaged more properly as it contains the standard quantity of antibiotics usually recommended by doctors and the right quantities that help consumers follow complete antibiotic treatment.
Antibiotics Compliance Packs are being sold exclusively in all outlets of Watsons Pharmacy. These prepackaged antibiotics are priced 40 to 60 percent lower than that of multinational brands. The antibiotics are manufactured by Unilab so their quality, safety and effectiveness are guaranteed, Pesayco added.
“Making safe and effective medicines more affordable to more Filipinos is an advocacy of Unilab,” added lawyer Jose Maria Ochave, corporate VP for business development group of Unilab.
“Unilab is constantly improving its initiative in lowering the prices of its medicine. It manufactures and markets off-patent pharmaceuticals that are just as effective, yet more affordable, compared to equivalent branded drugs,” Ochave concluded.
