DOH: Avoid Self-Medication to Prevent ‘Anti-Microbial Resistance’

The Department of Health (DOH) is reminding the people on the harmful effects of self- medication or taking of antibiotics not prescribed by a doctor.

According to DOH spokesperson Dr. Lyndon Lee-Suy, taking medicine in the form of antibiotics may lead to “antimicrobial resistance” or AMR.

Dr. Lee-Suy said that AMR happens when the drug effectiveness given to cure infection is reduced or eliminated.

“If that happens, the infection may persist which can possibly lead to death…So, it’s really important to not abuse/misuse antibiotics as medication…The safest way is to seek consultation first,” he added.

According to the DOH official, when people use antibiotics indiscriminately, bacterial alteration or mutation happens and causes the bacteria to be stronger against antibiotics or fight-off the drug’s effect.

He cited as example cases of infections in tuberculosis, acute respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections, and hospital-acquired infections.

Another way in which AMR happens is when the patient fails to complete the prescribed course of treatment or taking incomplete doses of the medicine.

Dr. Lee-Suy stressed that only a health professional (doctor) can advise and supervise the use of antibiotics.

On the other hand, the dispensing of antibiotics and other ethical drugs is the responsibility of the pharmacist in the drug store.

To further spread the DOH warning on the danger of misusing antibiotics, an infomercial is currently circulating in social media sites wherein Dr. Lee-Suy himself speaks on how AMR happens and the importance of not self-medicating with antibiotics. (PNA) SCS/LSJ