Superbug scare: Strict rules to buy antibiotics

New Delhi, Oct 30: Taking the reports on anti-biotic abuse into serious cognisance following the world-wide scare of the Superbug that is claimed to have originated in India, Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) introduced new rules to buy the class of medicines.

As per the new rules introduced on Friday, Oct 29, one would need two copies of a prescription to buy antibiotics from a pharmacy. One of the two copies would remain with the chemist while the other one can be retained by the buyer.

The chemist will also be required to keep the prescription for a year. This would ensure that the doctors who are prescribing these medicines can be monitored.

"Doctors prescribing powerful antibiotics for common ailments will know that they can be pulled up because a copy of the prescription will be given to the chemist who will have to keep it for a year, and will be used for audits," Surinder Singh, Drug Controller General of India, is quoted as saying on IBNLive.

The Drug Controllers' move has been prompted by Superbug scare. Several case of detection of the NDM1 (New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1) hit the international media a few months back, suggesting that the antibiotic-resistant Superbug.

The NDM1 was found to be resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics, which scientists found was due to antibiotic overuse.

The authority has now stepped in not only to fish the people out of the danger of antibiotic abuse, but also to save the face of the country especially since the Superbug scare is expected to hit the Indian medical tourism.

OneIndia News