The WHO estimates that 50% of all medicines are prescribed, distributed, or sold inappropriately.[1] This includes patients who take antibiotics incorrectly. Also, one-third of the population does not have proper access to basic medicines. WHO guidelines say the most common types of irrational drug use are:
- The use of too many medicines per patient
- Overuse of antibiotics often for non-bacterial infections
- Inadequate dosage to combat an infection
- Overuse of injections when oral formulation would be more appropriate
- Inappropriate self-medication
- Certified healthcare workers failing to prescribe in line with clinical guidelines
Overuse of antibiotics can lead to serious problems, including death. Some chronic diseases that might be affected by the overuse of antibiotics are hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, and mental disorders. Overuse of antibiotics is a waste of resources – often in out-of-pocket payments by patients – and may result in significant patient harm or poor patient outcomes and adverse drug reactions.
Irrational use or overuse of antimicrobials drugs is leading to increased antimicrobial resistance. Inappropriate use of antibiotics can stimulate inappropriate patient demand, and lead to reduced access to regulated healthcare facilities and loss of patient confidence in the health system. This loss of confidence could then lead to a vicious cycle of buying antibiotics over the counter, and demanding ‘strong,’ ‘stronger’ or ‘strongest’ antibiotics from drug stores or healthcare settings.
To stop irrational drug use, core policies to promote more rational use of medicines should be implemented. These include but are not limited to: a national body to coordinate medicinal use policies, clinical guidelines, independent medicine information, and public education about medicines.
Check out this video about RUM:
Why is antimicrobial stewardship important?
References
1 WHO. (2002, September). Promoting Rational Use of Medicines: Core Components - WHO Policy Perspectives on Medicines, No. 005. Retrieved from https://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/pdf/h3011e/h3011e.pdf