Experts Advocate Robust Measures To Deter Over – The – Counter Sale Of Antibiotics
By Abimbola Kintum
As Nigeria grapples with antimicrobial resistance, microbiologists and pharmaceutical experts have demanded strong actions to discourage drug outlets from selling antibiotics to individuals without prescription sheets.
They said antibiotics should be among prescription drugs and not be dispensed over-the-counter to patients.
The experts also called for policy statements to back up their stance with such a policy statement, the country would have solved the problem of antibiotic abuse and overuse to a significant level.
According to the World Health Organisation AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.
WHO noted that as a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.
The global health body noted that AMR is one of the top global public health and development threats, estimating that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths.
WHO stated that misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and plants are the main drivers in the development of drug-resistant pathogens, which affects countries in all regions and at all income levels.
It further noted that AMR’s drivers and consequences are exacerbated by poverty and inequality, which put many gains of modern-day medicine at risk.
“AMR makes infections harder to treat and makes other medical procedures and treatments such as surgery, caesarean sections and cancer chemotherapy much riskier,” the UN agency added.
Speaking against this background, a Professor of Clinical Microbiology at the Benue State University, Godwin Jombo, urged the government to put a policy in place to discourage pharmacies and other drug outlets from selling antibiotics to the public without prescriptions from a physician.
According to him, antibiotics are special drugs and should be prescribed on a sheet and dispensed by pharmacists to only people with doctor’s prescriptions.
He said, “Antibiotics are prescription drugs and people shouldn’t have access to it at will as it increases antibiotic abuse and overuse. This also increases the burden of antimicrobial resistance in the country.
“Selling of this class of medicine over the counter should be discouraged. We need a policy that will ensure that only those with prescription sheets can buy antibiotics. With this, we would have addressed the problem of AMR halfway.”
Also speaking, a pharmacist and the Managing Director/Superintendent Pharmacist of Engraced Pharmacy, Jonah Okotie, also maintained that antibiotics should be a prescription drug.
On why these drugs are sold over the counter, he said, “This boils down to ethical practice. Professionals should know where to draw the line. It is not about the pharmacy, doctors, or healthcare officers; it is about being professional and ethical in what we do.
