Odisha Govt Makes It Mandatory for Doctors to Write Indication While Prescribing Anti-Microbials

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has made it mandatory for the doctors to write indication/justification while prescribing anti-microbials.

Shalini Pandit, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department, has directed all Directors, Superintendents and CDM &PHOs to issue necessary instructions to all the doctors to mandatorily write indication/justification while prescribing anti- microbials as per the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

In a letter, Pandit said that as reported, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) puts many of the gains of modem 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 this disease 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, the letter stated.

It is pertinent to mention that the doctors at Medical Colleges and peripheral Health Institutions set 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, it added.