Avoid indiscriminate use of antibiotics: Doctors

Karimnagar chapters of IMA and Association of Physicians of India (API) organized the World Antimicrobial awareness week from November 18 to 24.

Karimnagar: Doctors of IMA and Association of Physicians of India (API) have advised people to avoid indiscriminate use of antibiotics and follow guidelines from doctors while using the antibiotics. People should avoid the over-the-counter purchase of medicines.

Karimnagar chapters of IMA and Association of Physicians of India (API) organized the World Antimicrobial awareness week from November 18 to 24 here, to create awareness on the growing problem of resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines.

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Speaking to reporters on Thursday, IMA district president Dr P Ramkiran said the purpose of observing the awareness week was to increase awareness on global antimicrobial resistance and encourage best practices among the public and policy-makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.

Senior Physician Dr Raghuraman stressed the need to bring in a special law to check over-the-counter purchase of medicines. People should purchase medicines only after a prescription by qualified doctors and use antibiotics judiciously, he said, adding that anti-microbial resistance made it difficult to treat common infections and accelerates the rate of infection. The use of antibiotics in poultry and fisheries should also be discouraged, he added.

IMA district secretary Dr G Venkat Reddy, API Karimnagar secretary Dr Sesha Shailaja, Treasurer Dr Chaitanya Reddy, FOGSI leader Dr Kolluri Radha, Pediatrician Dr Kolluri Ramesh, Neonatologist Dr Kacham Sivakumar and Dr L Ravikanth were present