Crisis of Antibiotic Resistance -A Definite Ban on Healthcare

Anti-microbial resistance patterns can vary regionally and even among different hospitals within the same community. Infections are the most common reasons for patients to seek medical advice and for antibiotics to be prescribed. Inappropriate or indiscriminate use of antibiotics can increase the cost of care by increasing drug cost, increasing toxicity, increasing resistance, and increasing laboratory costs. Prophylactic antibiotic use in some hospitals remains a problem. Antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily and empirically for complaints where no antibiotic is required or where culture and sensitivity results could be safely awaited. The key action by the clinician should be the provision of a specimen for accurate identification of the offending pathogen by means of culture and sensitivity method. The pharmacist can present information at the point of care regarding antibiotic susceptibility and individual patient factors to improve antibiotic prescribing. The pharmacist can play a significant role in recommending the prescriber about the necessary changes to be made in the patient regimen, dose, and duration of antibiotic therapy.