Dr Qaiser warns people not to use antibiotics without medical advice

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News – September 22, 2022): Pakistan Medical Association Secretary General Dr. Qaiser Sajjad warned on Thursday that people should discourage self-medication as more than 5 lakh of them died each year in the country due to the use of antibiotic tablets without medical advice.

Speaking to a private news channel, he called on relevant authorities to impose a strict ban on the sale of antibiotics without a prescription from qualified doctors.

He said all non-professional charlatans practicing without proper authorization must be dealt with rigorously through government interventions and policing policies.

Raising public media awareness of the potential risks associated with self-medication and differentiating between board-certified doctors and charlatans should be considered priorities, he stressed.

He said that in our population, the frequency of self-medication is very high, with most people practicing self-medication based on their previous experiences, adding that it puts them at risk of adverse effects and especially resistance. to antibiotics.

Responding to a question, he explained that self-medication, also known as ‘non-prescription’ or ‘over-the-counter’, is available without a prescription from a qualified doctor, so people should trust that the medicines they buy in pharmacies, supermarkets and other outlets have undergone the appropriate assessment and can be used safely.

He said the unnecessary use of antibiotics in self-limiting viral infections is causing antibiotic resistance, especially in children, adding that in the current outbreaks of dengue virus, patients could be at risk of develop serious complications due to self-medication, which are normally used. at home for general management of fever and pain, especially in rural areas.