Beware of antibiotics, warns the Ministry of Health

A close up of pills pouring out of a prescription medicine bottle which is lying on a table. The image is photographed with a very shallow depth of field.

The Department of Health is warning the public not to overuse antibiotics as this can lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in their bodies.

The ministry said people should ensure they are not using counterfeit medicines and ensure they are taking the correct dosage for the medical conditions they are treating.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to medications.

Due to drug and antibiotic resistance, infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, serious illness and death.

The community is therefore encouraged to reduce antimicrobial resistance by avoiding infections, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands frequently.

The Department of Health also said people should avoid buying prescriptions online and practice filling prescriptions at reputable pharmacies to reduce the risk of buying counterfeit or substandard drugs.

People are also being warned to clean and sanitize surfaces and cutting boards, and to reduce the use of antibacterial products, which constantly feed and strengthen bacteria living on the skin.

Head of Medicines and Pharmaceutical Services Gracia Wheatley-Smith said if the impact of AMR is not reduced, life will return to a point where there will be no more antimicrobials to treat disease. , viruses, fungal and other infections.

Wheatley-Smith further stated that without antimicrobials, procedures such as open-heart surgeries and hip replacements will be more difficult to perform because it would be difficult to prevent infections.

She added that more premature babies would die because treating infections would be difficult if the infants developed an antibiotic-resistant infection. Immunocompromised people with diseases such as HIV and cancer would also be more susceptible to infections if they developed resistance to antibiotics.

The drug resistance warning comes as healthcare professionals celebrated Antimicrobial Week from November 18-24, under the theme “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together”.