Heavy duty antibiotics like Cephalosporins, used to treat bacterial diseases like pneumonia and usually given when no other antibiotic proves effective, will no longer be available at private clinics, small hospitals or even in medical shops without a prescription. Instead, these antibiotics will only be sold at tertiary hospitals from now on.

This decision was taken at a meeting of the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) and the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in the last week of October.

The reason for this decision, according to DCGI, is mainly to end the practice of doctors in India, who prescribe antibiotics to patients even when it is not required and when the ailment can be cured with milder medicines.

Mirror spoke to Dr Vikram Padbidri from the department of microbiology and infection control at Jehangir Hospital.

He said, “It is a good initiative by the DCGI and will help regulate the use of antibiotics and decrease the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

Smaller hospitals, however, will face problems as they won’t be able to administer strong medicines. It is too early to tell how well this decision will work, but as of now, it sounds good.”

Dr Dasmit Singh, a paediatric surgeon, said, “It is a great initiative and an indication for the correct use of antibiotics.

80 per cent diseases are viral and don’t require any antibiotic. However, some doctors start the antibiotic treatment even in such cases. Also, some patients not very literate as far as taking medication goes and start demanding antibiotics right at the initial stage of the disease.”

Dr Bhushan Kedari, medical superintendent of Om Hospital said, “It is kind of a restriction on doctors. When a patient comes to our hospital, we can’t tell what stage his ailment has reached simply by looking at him.

It is only after running tests that we come to a conclusion and start the required treatment. Now, supposing a patient comes to us in the final stage of his disease, what are we to do?

Shifting him to a bigger hospital can be time- consuming and might cost the patient his life. I think visiting consultants and senior surgeons who visit the bigger hospitals and even the smaller ones, should be allowed to administer the medicines which are given in the final stage of a disease.”

A medical shop owner at Deccan spoke to Mirror on the condition of anonymity saying, “We never sell any strong medicines without a doctor’s prescription as it might be harmful and cause side effects.

But mild medicines are sold to people without a prescription as people use these when they suffer from a common viral, a headache or  stomach ache etc. We have had many customers asking for stronger drugs without a prescription, but we have always refused to sell those to them.”

What's a tertiary hospiatl?
A major hospital that usually has a full complement of services including paediatrics, general medicine, various branches of surgery and psychiatry or a speciality hospital dedicated to specific sub-speciality care
(paediatric centres, Oncology centres, psychiatric hospitals)

Bacterial diseases
Staphylococcus-aureus is a common bacteria that causes diseases like pneumonia, abscesses, meningitis and septicaemia

Antibiotics used
Penem group for bacterial diseases (a) Meropenem (b) Emipenem
Cephalosporins for bacterial diseases
Chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer treatment