Useless antibiotics

An article in the Malay mail really interest me today (apart from NASCOM's Rm1.8billion suit of course!) and it's a warning from Prof Hugh McGavock of Ulster University that all forms of antibiotics will be useless in 12 years due to 'gross over-prescribing' by doctors.

Well... this is old news to many of us. We have seen many many resistance problems in hospitals and finding appropriate antibiotics that actually work can sometimes be a gamble. Why is this happening when the pharmaceutical companies keep coming up with newer and supposedly better antibiotics? Surely we'll have more of the newer antibiotics to play with in 12 years' time?

Here's the fact: unless we seriously change our antibiotics usage, the resistance problem is here to stay and will cause more chaos.

Here's another fact: Antibiotic DOES NOT cure your common cold!

I cringed everytime I overheard somebody asking for antibiotics when you can be absolutely what they had are caused by viral infections or some sort of allergy (think hayfever). Of course there are instances when you can get secondary bacterial infections with viral infections but that is for a doctor to decide, not retail pharmacists who don't even bother to ask for medical histories! And who actually make it legal to sell antibiotics over-the-counter in Malaysia anyway??
Now, I'm not trying to dish out my fellow professionals but if us (pharmacists) do not take up the responsibilities to educate the public, who will?

Oh, and other professionals should play they roles too. I remember having a go at a nurse (bless her!) when I went to visit my sister at a hospital recently. My sister was actually admitted with viral fever so when I saw the nurse serving antibiotics I asked her why. She said she's not sure why but "must be for the viral infection". Wrong answer woman! She got a free lecture from me that night....

I mean, if those in the healthcare professions don't even know that antibiotic is for bacterial infection and NOT viral...how are we going to educate the rest?

And as the article stated, some doctors are at fault too. I mean, how can you give somebody a course of antibiotic without even examining the patient or taking history especially when the patient only asked for some anti-histamines for stuffy nose? This is a true story and happened at a trendy (read expensive) clinic in KLCC. I am however been blessed that my new-found GP here is pretty responsible. I was not offered antibiotics on a few occasions that I went to see her, even when I presented her with a really bad cold. Emmm...I think I shall remain loyal to her for a long long time since she keeps her antibiotics away from me but still very kindly gives me MCs....