Random use of antibiotics should be stopped

Antibiotics are life-saving drugs. Again, if this antibiotic is used incorrectly and unmethodically, it can cause damage to the body. Most of the misuse of antibiotics is seen in underdeveloped countries and unfortunately, Bangladesh has topped the list. Many people in Bangladesh, especially low-income people, buy and consume antibiotics from pharmacies or markets without consulting a doctor without having any idea that as a result their bodies are becoming resistant to antibiotics. People even are not aware about the consequences that no medicine will cure their illness in future. Studies have shown that essential medicines and widely used antibiotics have lost more than 50 percent of their effectiveness all over the globe which is a matter of grave concern.

Statistics show that 700,000 people die worldwide every year just because of antimicrobial resistance. The scenario is more or less same all over the world. The WHO estimates that the increase in antimicrobial resistance will increase the additional cost of the global health care sector by 1.2 trillion dollars by 2050.

Bangladesh government is taking the issue of antibiotic resistance very seriously and has taken various steps to overcome. Under one such initiative taken in 2016, the government has introduced the 'model pharmacy' in the drug sales policy where the sale of antibiotics without a doctor's prescription is completely prohibited. But due to lack of actual monitoring, neither the seller nor the buyer serve the purpose for which the model pharmacy was established. Apart from that, no realistic antibiotic use policy has been formulated in the country so far. Experts concerned believe that children and hospital ICU patients are at serious risk due to misuse of antibiotics.

In this situation, the problems and crises due to the random use of antibiotics should be identified and proper use of these medicines should be ensured. Therefore, if necessary, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare should formulate a practical policy for the use of antibiotics and implement it properly. Also, a strong and sustainable system of health workers should be adopted to discourage overuse of antibiotics.