Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has asked doctors in the state to mention justification while prescribing anti-microbials to patients.
The move came on the basis of instructions issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in this regard.
Shalini Pandit, Secretary, Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department has written a letter in this connection to all directors of the department, superintendents of government and private medical colleges and hospitals, CDMs and PHOs.
“I am to say that as reported, anti-microbial resistance (AMR) puts many of the gains of modern medicine at risk and threatens the effective prevention and treatment of infections caused by resistant microbes, resulting in prolonged illness and greater risk of death. Treatment failures also lead to longer periods of infectivity and prohibitive high cost of the second-line drugs may result in failure to treat these diseases in many individuals. Misuse and overuse of anti-microbials is one of the main drivers in the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens. With few new antibiotics in the Research & Development pipeline, prudent antibiotic use is the only option to delay the development of resistance,” wrote pandit in the letter.
“It is pertinent to mention that the doctors at Medical Colleges and peripheral Health Institutions set an example of judicious use of anti-microbials for the next generation of doctors who will face this crisis in a much more severe form. While pharmacists are being reminded to implement the schedule-II and III of the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules and sell antibiotics only on valid prescriptions, it is important that all doctors have to mention the exact indication on their prescriptions while prescribing anti-microbials,” the official said in the letter.
“You are, therefore, requested to circulate the letter of Government of India to all doctors working in the Medical Colleges (both Govt. & private) and peripheral Health Institutions with an instruction to strictly follow the guidelines of Government of India and to mandatorily mention exact indication/ reason/ justification while prescribing anti-microbials for interest of the public,” she concluded.
