Antibiotic resistance due to self-medication

It’s a common situation most of us will have come across at some point in our lives.

When we are unwell, the idea of taking an appointment and waiting in line to see a doctor seems tiresome. So we do the next best thing. We just head to the friendly pharmacy next door, buy an Over-The -Counter (OTC) drug and pop a pill; in a worse scenario, we listen to hearsay and indulge in self medication and down antibiotics without physician’s advice.

No wonder then, that India has earned the dubious distinction of being the world’s largest consumer of antibiotics! There has been a whopping 62% increase in antibiotics usage from 8 billion units in 2001 to 12.9 units in 2010!

But have we stopped to think of the cost attached to this unnecessary and unregulated popping of antibiotics?

What is Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and how does it occur?

Microorganisms make us sick! Which could include bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites etc which are all around us. When they attack our body, we fall sick.

Microbials help fight them! Physicians prescribe appropriate dosages of antimicrobials such as antibiotics, antiviral and antimalarials to help us fight the disease.

AMR slows down the healing process However, if we have indulged in inappropriate usage of antibiotics in the past, we develop condition called Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which hinders these antimicrobials from defeating the microorganisms. In other words, we may end up requiring a higher dosage of medication each time we fall sick to defeat the virus.

This could in turn sap our energy levels and make us take a longer time to get back on our feet.

Can both the government and industry work as a whole, help combat this menace of AMR?

The government needs to play a key role in creating an environment that will allow for the funding of AMR relevant innovation and access.

Recognizing the fact that collective action would be required to combat the global threat of AMR, the industry too has come together to play its part by forming the AMR Industry Alliance.

The AMR Industry Alliance has over 100 life science companies and associations across 20 countries who are working with key stakeholders to address the AMR menace.

DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals (DSP) is an active member of the AMR Industry Alliance and stands committed to contributing to public health by combating AMR.

DSP has also been recognized by the organization for its sustainably produced antibiotics. In order to minimize the release the of antimicrobial active ingredients into the environment, DSP has set in place the concept of dedicated wastewater treatment at all it’s global production sites.