The Director General of Health Services (DGHS) has recently taken a proactive step that has garnered positive feedback from doctors across the nation. A directive asks doctors in all medical colleges to explicitly state the precise reasons or justifications for prescribing antimicrobial medications to patients.
This decision comes in response to increased cases of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) being reported nationwide. Antimicrobials, comprising antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics, are vital medicines employed for preventing and treating infectious diseases in humans, animals and plants. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to these medications.
President of Infection Control Academy of India Dr. Ranga Reddy Burri highlighted the rampant abuse of antimicrobials across various sectors, including human health. He asserted that antimicrobials are often prescribed without a provisional diagnosis, and this new regulation aims to curb empirical and indiscriminate prescriptions.
