Medical lab scientists urge government to initiate policy on regulation of prescription drugs, antibiotics’ use

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLS N) has raised an alarm over the increasing resistance organisms to antibiotics in the country and called on the federal government to put in place a policy that would regulate the testing, prescription and use of antibiotics in the country.

Speaking at the weekend in Abuja, the Association Chairman, Ndubuisi Ebitea warned that if bacterial resistance is not urgently checked it would continued to wreck havoc on the health of the population.

According to him, the monetary cost of treating antibiotic resistant infections worldwide is estimated to be billions of dollars every year.

He said,” the resistance of organisms to antibiotic is now a huge concern because resistant organisms are becoming prevalent, bacterial resistance often results in treatment failure and increased cost and mortality, the problem is no more restricted to the hospital setting, resistance will continue to worsen if not addressed and there are no antibiotics on the immediate horizon with activity against multi-drug resistant pathogens.”

He also said that the association in the FCT is poised to combat the menace of antibiotics resistance hence it has put in place modalities, in facilities for in depth and continuous sensitization of members on the phenomenon.

Research according to him, has shown that antibiotic resistance is increasing at a faster rate than it can be controlled, hence it can eventually affect an entire community.

Ebitea noted that antibiotic resistance can be caused by patient non compliance to recommended treatment, irrational use of antibiotics, and unwholesome practice of some health professionals, recurrent visit to hospitals with highly resistant organisms among other.

On mitigation of the resistance of organisms, he said it could be done by preventing infection through vaccination, washing of hands, and general hygiene and by proper diagnosis and effective treatment of infections.