Use of Antibiotics Concern

Jakarta, Kompas - For the past 40 years, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics to be a problem in Indonesia. Overcoming been made parties, but the results are not optimal. It should be firm and serious steps in order to not impact the spread of antibiotic resistance.

"The government needs to more strictly regulate the use and distribution of antibiotics," said Chairman of the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (Faculty of medicine) Anis Karuniawati a media briefing ahead of a symposium in Indonesia Antimicrobial Resistance Watch all 8 in Jakarta, Thursday (14/2).

Although including prescription drugs, antibiotic-counter without a prescription in pharmacies and drug stores. Doctors often prescribe antibiotics without checking types of germs through laboratory testing. Some people used to buy and consume antibiotics to treat their own illness.
According to Anis, eligible physicians prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. However, laboratory tests should be performed. "Testing laboratories usually only done if antibiotics do not make an impact," he said.
Similar attention needs to be given to the use of antimicrobials, a microbe-killing drug wider than antibiotics (substances produced microbes to combat other microbes). Now, the spread of antimicrobial-resistant microbes become the world's dangers.
Resistance can prolong the illness, worsening clinical condition, and increase healthcare costs. Resistance also increases the number of patients in hospitals and the potential pandemic of resistant microbes.
Professor of Clinical Microbiology Faculty of Medicine Usman Chatib Warsa said the quality of antibiotic production in the country is often lower than that of imported products while the same active ingredient. The reason, the management of antibiotic active ingredients for shipping and port are not standard.
Storage is not an antibiotic at the right temperature also occur in hospitals in the area. As a result, there is often a certain antibiotic resistance in the area, but not in a big city.
To create a policy, the government needs to conduct a national survey of antimicrobial resistance. "Governments need to intensify prevention of infections in hospitals. If not, will the more resistant germs, "he said.
Prevention of resistance needs to be done because the current pharmaceutical companies rarely make new antibiotics.
Chatib added, since 2005, the government requires Type B hospitals have clinical microbiologist. Currently, there are about 400 hospitals type B. However, the number of new clinical microbiology specialists about 150 people from four medical schools in Indonesia.
Patients also need to be reminded what a doctor does need antibiotics to treat the disease.
Sources: http://health.kompas.com/read/2013/02/15/08304161/