Don’t take antibiotics without doctor’s consultation: AIIMS Director

New Delhi: Do not take antibiotics over the counter, without a doctor’s consultation, said Dr M Srinivas, Director at AIIMS, Delhi, on Monday, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned against their misuse.

PM Modi, in his last 'Mann Ki Baat' of the year on Sunday, raised concern about “extremely worrying” AMR levels in the country, and urged people not to take antibiotics casually.

The Prime Minister cited a recent alarming report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which stated that antibiotics are becoming less effective against diseases such as pneumonia and UTIs in India.

"If everyone takes antibiotics and gets resistance, we won't have any drugs to treat them in the ICU. It is very harmful,” Dr V Srinivas, Director at AIIMS, told IANS.

“The message is: don't take antibiotics over the counter if you think you have an infection, a fever, or any other symptoms," he added.

The doctor urged people to consult a doctor, who will then know which antibiotic to give.

"The physician will prescribe the medicine with the lowest possible risk, and you should take it for the prescribed duration.

“Self-prescription of antibiotics should not be done. It is very important that we do not take antibiotics until the doctor gives them to us,” he advised.

The expert also noted that antibiotics will not work with viral infections, as there are antivirals for them.

Dr Bimal Kumar Das, Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, AIIMS, lauded the Prime Minister's speech about the importance of antibiotics and the serious issue of their misuse and overuse across the country.

"Antibiotic resistance has now become a major public health concern. Bacteria are increasingly acquiring resistance to almost all classes of antibiotics that are commonly used, both in hospital settings and in the community," Das told IANS.

This situation is extremely worrying because we already have a very limited number of effective antibiotics, and very few new antibiotics are being developed.

As a result, it has become critically important to focus on this issue and promote the rational use of antibiotics.

"Antibiotic resistance exists not only in hospital settings but also in the community, making it a widespread and serious challenge," Das said.

Dr Neha Rastogi, Senior Infectious Diseases Consultant at a city-based hospital, told IANS that "India is bearing a silent and large pandemic in terms of high burden of infectious diseases, with UTI and pneumonia facing major brunt. Easy over-the-counter availability of antibiotics, irrational prescribing, and incomplete treatment courses have accelerated resistance."

Major issues are the ease of access to antibiotics and the way prescriptions are implemented with limited checks and balances.

Mass awareness, behavioural change, better diagnostics alongside stringent regulation and implementation of national policies on controlling AMR are key to tackling the crisis, Rastogi said.

The expert also suggested prevention of infections via vaccination, proper sanitation, and better management of environmental factors. 

Further, pre-empting early and improved affordable diagnostics, avoidance of self-medication, the right dose, right duration protocol can be key pillars to build and sustain the drive against anti-microbial resistance.