The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics that act against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria is high in India, a research study has found.
Experts say that if a patient reports a serious infection later, these antibiotics may become ineffective as the body will have developed drug resistance.
The study titled ‘Consumption of Systemic Antibiotics in India in 2019’ was published in the Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia on June 22. It investigated antibiotics use in India using the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Access, Watch, and Reserve classification of antibiotics and defined daily dose matrices. The authors are Shaffi Fazaludeen Koya, Wirtz V.J., Galea S., and Rockers P.C. of the Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, U.S., and Ganesh S. and Selvaraj S. of the Public Health Foundation of India.
