You might have been wondering why sometimes some health conditions or diseases, especially those caused by infectious agents persist in certain individuals despite them receiving treatment.
Well, it has got to do with a phenomenon known as antibiotic resistance, whereby certain microorganisms are no longer susceptible to particular antibiotics.
World Health Organization (WHO) has documented resistance to antibiotics by some diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa.
It has listed diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia, malaria and HIV/AIDS to have resisted antibiotics made to counter them in the past.
Antibiotic resistance is a global health problem which has continued claiming lives worldwide. Patients, as well as health workers' behaviours, are some of the factors that have contributed to antibiotic resistance.
This article is limited to discussing mistakes made by health workers that have promoted the aforementioned case.
The malpractices entail irrational prescribing and dispensing behaviours by health workers.
They are outlined as follows:
1) Absence of appropriate counselling while dispensing antibiotics
2) Dispensing or selling unprescribed antibiotics
3) Dispensing inadequate courses of antibiotics
4) Erroneous prescription of doses or duration of a particular antibiotics
5) Prescribing antibiotics when not needed
6) Prescription inappropriate antibiotics for a particular type of a disease or medical condition
7) Using antibiotics that can treat or cure several diseases/medical conditions (broad spectrum) in place of those meant to cure or treat fewer diseases (narrow/intermediate spectrum).
Health workers can reverse the trend of antibiotic resistance and save lives by adopting appropriate prescribing and dispensing practices as advised by the WHO.