|
 A growing number of germs around the world are already resistant to
antibiotics, making it increasingly difficult to treat infections
that were once easy to combat with medications. While much of this
problem is caused by doctors prescribing antibiotics to patients who
don't need them, people who use these drugs without seeing a doctor
first are also part of the problem.
For the current study, researchers examined data from 31 previously
published studies to assess nonprescription antibiotic use in the
U.S. and the factors that may contribute to it.
One in four people had already used antibiotics without a
prescription or intended to, the analysis found.
Up to almost half of people had stored antibiotics for future use or
intended to do so, saving medicines prescribed for them or perhaps
for a child, parent, or other family member, the study also found.
"Our findings show that people obtain antibiotics without a
prescription in the U.S. from flea markets, health food stores,
friends or relatives, pet stores or online," said Dr. Larissa
Grigoryan, lead author of the study and a researcher at Baylor
College of Medicine in Houston.
"These results matter, because unlike most drugs that affect only an
individual patient if used incorrectly, misuse of antibiotics can
harm others by increasing risk of antimicrobial resistance, a
growing global health threat," Grigoryan said by email.
When people take antibiotics without a prescription, they often take
unnecessary medication or choose an inappropriate drug or dose, the
study team notes in the Annals of Internal Medicine. People might
get sicker when they self-medicate with a drug that's not effective
for their illness, exposing themselves to potentially preventable
complications - and they can also make antibiotics less effective
not just for their own use but for others who need these drugs.
Every time somebody takes antibiotics they don't need, it
contributes to antibiotic resistance, according to the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[to top of second column] |
A big part of this problem is doctors prescribing antibiotics for
viral infections like the common cold or flu, most sore throats,
bronchitis, and many sinus and ear infections. Viruses don't respond
to antibiotics, and use of the drugs for viral infections helps
bacteria to morph into superbugs that resist treatment in the
future.
In the current study, people were more likely to take antibiotics
without a prescription when they lacked health insurance, didn't
have access to a regular doctor or clinic, couldn't afford the cost
of doctor visits or drugs, couldn't miss work to see a doctor, or
were embarrassed to seek care for sexually transmitted infections.
Across all of the smaller studies, the proportion of people who said
they had already used antibiotics without a prescription ranged from
1% to 66%.
"It seems at least partially influenced by the difficulty,
inconvenience, and expense of getting appointments, which likely
differ by patient population," said Dr. Jeffrey Gerber of the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia.
"The overarching driver, however, is likely the fact that most
people view antibiotics as generally harmless medicines that
effectively treat colds," Gerber, who wasn't involved in the study,
said by email.
"It's not safe to take an antibiotic without a prescription," Gerber
added. "Most infections - especially respiratory infections - don't
need antibiotics - and when they do, it's important to have a doctor
chose the right antibiotic (there are dozens of different types of
antibiotics, most of which work very differently) at the right dose
for the right amount of time to maximize the chances of curing your
infection while minimizing the chance that the antibiotic will cause
you harm."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/30QcfmM Annals of Internal Medicine, online
July 22, 2019.
[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
