Giving emphasis to newly introduced Pharmacy Practice Regulations (PPR) 2015 for reinforcing the role of registered pharmacists in counseling patients on the use of antibiotics and dissuade them from self prescribing, the West Bengal branch of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association has started a project on combating antimicrobial resistance under a programme titled, ‘Know  Your Medicines’ or KYM.

The project is giving priority to the role of pharmacists in dispensing drugs as well as counseling patients on the use of drugs.

Briefing Pharmabiz about the project, the president of WB IPA, Dr. C Subash Mandal said antimicrobial resistance is a serious global problem today. Most anti microbials are now resistant to a large number of microbes, developing several problems like MRSA, MDR and XDR strains of tuberculosis. There are several reasons for developing antimicrobial resistance like inappropriate prescribing.

Other reasons may include inappropriate use like non adherence to the antimicrobial regimen, self medication, resistant strains of bacteria and virus being transmitted through nosocomial infection or hospital-acquired infection, and indiscriminate use of antimicrobials in live stocks such as dairies, piggeries, hatcheries, fisheries etc.

According to him, the situation is more complicated in developing countries as all of the antibiotics available from community pharmacies are without prescription and proper counseling on its use is not provided to the patients due to several reasons. That is where the importance of new Pharmacy Practice Regulations emerges and the role of qualified pharmacists rises. The KYM programme is aimed to address all the complications arising out of the use of antibiotics.

He said the PPR 2015 will be effective in combating this problem. Moreover aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies sometimes facilitates inappropriate use of costlier antibiotics, where it is quite unnecessary. Pharmacists have knowledge of antibiotics and their proper application, and clinically this can help doctors for proper selection of an appropriate and viable treatment regime. Pharmacists are the major interface between physicians and patients.

A two pronged strategy may help combating this issue, first there should be a well formulated antibiotic policy, and secondly, programmes should be introduced to generate meaningful awareness among health care providers as well as the general public.

Dr. Mandal, who is working as a drugs control officer in West Bengal, said very few antimicrobials have been developed during the last decade, but the pharmaceutical industries are reluctant to invest in R&D of antimicrobials because the return from the investment is low due to its short life cycle.

In West Bengal, the unit of IPA has introduced several programmes in electronic and social media to discourage the irrational and unnecessary use of antibiotics. Informative leaflets are being distributed in all the retail pharmacy shops in collaboration with Bengal Chemists & Druggists Association.

Kolkata district has been selected as model district towards increasing public awareness. Kiosks have been set up at prominent places of big hospitals and informative posters have been displayed there. Counseling of patients is also done in various hospitals by the pharmacists. Besides, seminars on ‘responsible use of antibiotics’ have been conducted in different districts as part of this year’s National Pharmacy Week celebration.